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Ethical Standards

Approved by Norwegian People’s Aid board May 31 2013 - revised September 20 2014 - revised June 10 2016 – revised September 24 2021.

I Introduction

These ethical standards are approved by the Board of Norwegian People’s Aid, and applies to our own employees, suppliers, investment managers, other business partners and donors. The standards are based on the UN International Declaration of Human Rights and the ILO Conventions, the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, as well as the Act on Business Transparency and Work on Fundamental Human Rights and Decent Working Conditions (Transparency Act).

All collaboration between Norwegian People’s Aid and an external partner must comply with our overriding principles and statutes and not undermine or damage our core values, objectives or projects. Expectations of compliance with the ethical standards shall be referred to in all contracts with external partners.

In the event of a breach of ethical standards, Norwegian People's Aid is free to publicly criticize partners. Furthermore, Norwegian People's Aid cannot be held responsible for, or used to legitimize, the decisions made by partners on a commercial or political basis.

Norwegian People's Aid will at all times refer to the exclusion lists of fund managers who are leaders in ethics and sustainability, as well as company databases for organizations and institutions that monitor business, human rights and international law. Norwegian People's Aid will prioritize companies that are not on these lists and the company databases in their activities for purchasing, investing or raising funds. The same applies to companies that are the subject of global campaigns in which Norwegian People's Aid participates, or companies that Norwegian People's Aid on an independent basis or as a result of assessments made by our partner organizations, believe contribute to violations of human rights or international law.

Norwegian People's Aid will give priority to companies that have a collective agreement, and will not use companies that do not respect the right to organize and negotiate.

Supplier means the contracted party which is responsible for the product, process or service delivered to Norwegian People’s Aid.

Sub-contractor means a business entity in the supply chain that directly or indirectly provides the supplier with goods or services.

II - Principles

Suppliers to, and business partners of, Norwegian People’s Aid shall deliver goods and services which are produced in compliance with our ethical standards.

A) anchor accountability in the company's guidelines

B) identify and assess actual and potential negative consequences for fundamental human rights and decent working conditions that the company has either caused or contributed to, or that are directly related to the company's business activities, products or services through supply chains or business partners

C) implement appropriate measures to stop, prevent or limit negative consequences based on the company's priorities and assessments pursuant to letter b

D) monitor the implementation and results of measures in accordance with letter c

E) communicate with affected stakeholders and licensees about how negative consequences are handled according to letters c and d

F) provide for or cooperate on recovery and compensation where required.

The due diligence assessments must be carried out regularly and be in proportion to the size of the business, the nature of the business, the context in which the business takes place, and the severity and likelihood of negative consequences for basic human rights, decent working conditions and the environment.

Boycott of individual countries

Norwegian People's Aid will follow up on all international sanctions that are part of Norwegian law or that are expected from our donors. Norwegian People's Aid will also avoid buying goods and services from countries where there is broad international agreement to boycott trade due to the country's human rights situation.

Corruption and bribery

Norwegian People’s Aid does not accept the use of bribes in any shape or form to give unfair advantages to customers, agents, entrepreneurs, suppliers, employees or public servants. Reference is made to the Norwegian People’s Aid guidelines relating to anti-corruption work and reporting routines which are available on our website www.folkehjelp.no .

III – Ethical standards

1. Forced/bonded labour (ILO conventions nos. 29 and 105)

1.1 No form of forced or bonded labour or involuntary labour is permitted.

1.2 Workers must not be required to provide a deposit, identity papers or passport to the employer and shall be at liberty to terminate their employment with a reasonable period of notice.

2. Union organisation and collective bargaining (ILO conventions nos. 87, 98 and 135 and 154)

2.1 Without exception, workers shall have the right to join or establish trade unions of their own free will and the right to collective bargaining. Employers shall not interfere, hinder or oppose union organisation or collective bargaining.

2.2 The employer shall not discriminate against trade union representatives or hinder them in the performance of their trade union work.

2.3 If the rights of freedom of association and/or collective bargaining are limited by law, the employer shall facilitate and not hinder alternative mechanisms for free and independent association and negotiation.

3. Child labour (UN convention on the Rights of the Child, ILO conventions nos. 138, 182 and 79, ILO recommendation no. 146)

3.1. The minimum age for workers shall not be under 15 years old and in keeping with

i) the national minimum age for employment;

ii) the minimum age for compulsory schooling,

the higher of the two being applicable. If the local minimum age is fixed at 14 years of age in keeping with the exception provision of ILO convention 138, this may be accepted.

3.2. New recruitment of child workers in contravention of the minimum age as laid out above is not permitted.

3.3. Children under 18 years of age shall not undertake work which may be damaging to their health, safety or morals, including night work.

3.4. Action plans are to be established for the prompt phasing out of child labour which contravenes ILO conventions 138 and 182. Action plans shall be documented and communicated to relevant personnel and other interested parties. Support schemes are to be organised under which children are given access to education until such time as the child is no longer of compulsory school age.

4. Discrimination (ILO conventions nos. 100 and 111 and UN convention on the Discrimination of Women)

4.1 There is to be no discrimination in relation to employment, wages, training, promotion, dismissal or retirement on the basis of ethnicity, caste, religion, age, disability, gender, civil status, sexual preference, union work or political affiliation.

4.2 Measures are to be established to protect persons against sexual harassment and threatening, abusive or exploitative behaviour, and against discrimination or dismissal on the basis of unjustifiable grounds, e.g. marriage, pregnancy, parenthood or status as HIV positive.

5. Brutal treatment

5.1 Physical abuse or punishment, or threats of physical abuse are forbidden. The same applies to sexual or other types of abuse and different types of humiliating treatment.

6. Health, safety and the environment (ILO convention no. 155 and recommendation no. 164)

6.1 Work is to be undertaken to ensure workers a safe and healthy working environment. Dangerous chemicals and other substances shall be properly handled. Necessary measures shall be taken to prevent and minimise accidents and damage to health as a result of, or in relation to, conditions at the workplace.

6.2 Workers shall receive regular, documented training in health and safety. Health and safety training shall be repeated for new employees and transferred workers.

6.3 Workers shall have access to clean sanitary facilities and clean drinking water. If relevant, the employer shall also provide access to facilities for the safe storage of food.

6.4 If the employer provides lodgings, these shall be clean, safe, sufficiently ventilated and with access to clean sanitary facilities and clan drinking water.

7. Wages (ILO convention no. 131)

7.1 Workers’ wages for a normal working week shall be no less than in keeping with the national minimum wage provisions or the industry standard, whichever is the higher. Wages shall always be sufficient to cover basic needs, including savings.

7.2 Wage conditions and payments shall be fixed by written contract prior to commencement of work. The contract must be such as can be understood by the worker.

7.3 Reduction in wages as a disciplinary measure is not permitted.

8. Working hours (ILO conventions nos. 1 and 14)

8.1 Working hours shall be in accordance with national legislation or industry standards and not exceed the working hours stipulated in the relevant international conventions. Normal working hours per week should not normally exceed 48 hours.

8.2 Workers must have at least one day off per 7 days.

8.3 Overtime shall be limited and voluntary. Recommended maximum overtime is 12 hours per week, i.e. total work time of no more than 60 hours per week. Exceptions from this rule may be accepted if regulated by collective agreement or national legislation.

8.4 Workers shall always receive overtime supplements for work in excess of normal working hours (see point 8.1, above), the minimum supplement being in accordance with prevailing legislation.

9. Regular employment

9.1 Obligations towards workers, in line with international conventions and/or national legislation and regulations concerning regular employment, shall not be evaded by means of short-term engagement (such as the use of contract workers, casual labour and day labour), sub-contracting or other types of employment relations.

9.2 All workers have the right to a work contract in a language they understand.

9.3 Apprentice programmes shall be clearly defined as to duration and content.

RELATIONS OUTSIDE THE WORKPLACE

10. Marginalised populations

10.1 Production and the use of natural resources shall not contribute to the destruction of the resource and income base for marginalised populations by, for example, the sequestration of large areas of land or irresponsible use of water or other natural resources upon which such populations depend.

10.2 All business partners and sub-contractors or subsidiaries thereof shall, in relation to production, management, investment and commercial projects, respect the principle of free, prior and informed consent (FPIC), which states that communities have the right to either give or withhold their consent to proposed projects that can affect the lands they customarily own, occupy or otherwise use.

11. Environment

11.1 Measures to reduce negative impacts on health and environment throughout the entire value chain shall be undertaken by means of minimising emissions, promoting efficient, sustainable use of resources, including energy and water, and minimising greenhouse gas emissions in production and transport. The local environment in places of production shall not be over-exploited or damaged by pollution.

11.2 National and international environmental legislation and regulation shall be complied with and the relevant emission permits obtained.

12. Supplier routines and follow-up

A management system is key to the implementation of ethical standards. Norwegian people’s Aid emphasises the importance of suppliers using systems that support such implementation. Expectations are made clear in that:

  • The supplier is to centrally appoint a person in the organisation whose responsibility is the implementation of the ethical guidelines in the organisation’s activities
  • The supplier is to make the guidelines known in all relevant parts of the organisation
  • The supplier is to obtain consent from Norwegian People’s Aid before production or parts of production are outsourced to a sub-contractor when this has not been agreed beforehand
  • The supplier shall be able to account for where goods ordered by Norwegian People’s Aid have been produced

13. Respect for human rights and international humanitarian law

In line with these principles, Norwegian People’s Aid expects all suppliers to respect internationally proclaimed human rights. UN’s guiding principles specifically state: “Moreover, in situations of armed conflict, businesses should respect the standards of international humanitarian law", and Norwegian People’s Aid expects our suppliers to respect the standards of international humanitarian law in situations where this applies.

14. Corruption

All forms of bribery are unacceptable, as well as the use of alternative channels to secure illegitimate private or business-related advantages for customers, agents, contractors and suppliers or their employees as well as public officers.

IV – Inspections and monitoring

In order to assess suppliers’ compliance with this standard, Norwegian People’s Aid will make use of inspections, carried out either directly by Norwegian People’s Aid employees or by an approved third party. We reserve the right to monitor compliance with the standards by means of systematic, unannounced or announced inspections by Norwegian People’s Aid personnel or independent auditors. Conditions worthy of criticism can be notified via the Norwegian People's Aid's website.

V – Remedial measures and lack of compliance

Norwegian People's Aid is committed to following the highest standards of ethical behaviour. Failure to do so may result in termination of business relationships.