Daimler : adopts Principles of Social Responsibility and Human Rights

Stuttgart - Daimler, the General Works Council and the World Employee Committee reinforce long-standing commitment to respect for human rights with Principles.

Accordingly, the company already fulfils a key requirement of the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act.

Renata Jungo Brungger, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Mercedes-Benz AG, responsible for Integrity and Legal Affairs: 'With these Principles, we underline our commitment to upholding human rights and consistently expand our existing activities.'

Michael Brecht, Chairman of the General Works Council and the World Employee Committee of Daimler AG: 'The Principles of Social Responsibility and Human Rights are a central foundation for our daily actions.'

Stuttgart - The Board of Management, General Works Council and World Employee Committee of Daimler AG and the international trade union federation IndustriALL Global Union have adopted the Principles of Social Responsibility and Human Rights.

The Principles are the binding basis for the implementation of human rights standards at Daimler, and summarise the company's commitment to human rights. In this way the company is supplementing and further specifying the requirements for compliance with human rights in the Daimler Integrity Code, and updating the Principles of Social Responsibility that have existed since 2002. At the same time the company is fulfilling a requirement of the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. The Principles also take into account new developments such as the handling of artificial intelligence. The Principles are published on the corporate website daimler.com.

Renata Jungo Brungger, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Mercedes-Benz AG, responsible for Integrity and Legal Affairs: 'Respect for human rights has been a key priority for us at Daimler for many years, and is a prerequisite for our long-term success. Our goal is clear: We only want products that have been produced without human rights violations. That is why we have firmly established this topic in our sustainable business strategy. With the Principles, we are giving additional weight to key human rights issues such as workers' rights and the prohibition of forced and child labour. At the same time we are providing new impulses, for example in the area of human rights and the environment as well as in handling artificial intelligence.'

Michael Brecht, Chairman of the General Works Council and the World Employee Committee of Daimler AG: 'Our work is performed by people. That is why the adopted Principles of Social Responsibility and Human Rights are a central foundation for our daily actions. In this way, we are consistently developing the Principles of Social Responsibility, which were drawn up almost 20 years ago at the initiative of the General Works Council and updated in 2012. With these Principles, we are setting an important course for the industry. The Principles are the result of intensive cooperation between the company and the General Works Council, the World Employee Committee and the international trade union federation IndustriALL, as well as internal and external experts.'

Principles with Daimler's precepts and measures

The Principles are addressed to all employees of Daimler AG and its controlled Group companies around the world. For many years, respect for and protection of human rights has been a fundamental component of responsible corporate governance at Daimler. Accordingly it is firmly embedded in the company's Integrity Code applicable to all employees. Daimler also demands that its suppliers uphold and respect human rights.

In the Principles, Daimler summarises the requirements of existing guidelines and standards and adds further important precepts. The most relevant human rights standards for Daimler in the corporate context particularly include the following: the abolition of forced and child labour, freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining, fairness in remuneration and working time, non-discrimination and equal opportunity, as well as health and safety at work. Beyond these core issues, the company's Principles address new topics such as human rights and the environment, dealing with artificial intelligence, protecting local communities and indigenous peoples, and protecting human rights defenders.

Furthermore, the Principles identify measures to implement these precepts. The basis for this is Daimler's due diligence approach, the Human Rights Respect System (HRRS). For several years now, the company has been using it to make a risk-based and systematic assessment of the respect for human rights in its own Group companies and its supply chains. As a responsible company, Daimler is committed, among other things, to implementing the International Bill of Human Rights, the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the International Labour Organization's Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. Over the past few years, on the basis of these standards, the company has implemented a large number of measures and continues to develop its programme. An important component of this is the involvement of external stakeholders.

Human rights at Daimler

As an internationally active company, Daimler assumes responsibility for respecting and safeguarding human rights along the value chain. With the Human Rights Respect System (HRRS), a risk-based and strategic approach has been developed with which the company systematically addresses the issue of human rights. In this way, the company assesses whether human rights are respected in its own Group companies and its supply chains. The aim is to identify and avoid systemic risks and possible negative effects of business activities on human rights early on. In order to procure raw materials in a responsible manner, Daimler also works together with associations, organisations and other companies in various projects and initiatives.

More information about human rights at Daimler can be found here: www.daimler.com/sustainability/human-rights

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