GEB and its subsidiaries’ commitment to respect human rights is aligned with the Colombian institutional framework, the guidelines of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) for multinational companies, the UN’s Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the fundamental conventions of the International Labor Organization (ILO), the Colombian Guidelines on Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (IHL), Convention 169 of 1989 of the International Labor Organization (ILO) on indigenous and tribal peoples, and the applicable national regulations and jurisprudence, among others.
The Human Rights policy also includes guidelines on Diversity, Equality and Inclusion, with practices aimed at promoting a corporate culture with equal opportunity, rights and responsibilities, free from any type of discrimination.
Human Rights Strategy of the Group:
The Group’s Human Rights Strategy includes crucial components such as human rights due diligence, work plans for diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI), the inclusion and management of human rights impact risks within the strategic risk matrix, and training for employees, suppliers, and contractors on these topics.
Human rights due diligence:
GEB's Board of Directors approved the inclusion of Human Rights risk in the Business Group's strategic risk matrix in October 2022. This significant step ensures effective prevention and mitigation of risks associated with human rights violations by GEB, its employees, partners, and contractors, and enables their management if they occur.
The results of managing this risk are presented bimonthly to the Audit and Risk Committee of the Board of Directors, which offers recommendations regarding the risk matrix for the Group and its subsidiaries, and supervises and periodically reports on the effective implementation of controls to ensure that principal risks are identified, managed, and timely communicated to the Board of Directors. Some primary controls of the strategic HR risk include: Human rights communication protocols; Provisions for contract termination in the case of human rights infringements; Incorporation of human rights considerations in contractor evaluations; Identification of human rights risks in prospective contracted services; Guidelines for engagement with communities; Human rights educational programs for employees and contractors; Surveillance and response to PCCS and complaints concerning human rights.
What is Human Rights due diligence?
Is te process that organizations should carry out identify, prevent, mitigate and account how they address acyual and potencial adverse human rights impacts in their own operations, their supply chain and other relationships