Ahold Delhaize publishes human rights report

Ahold Delhaize is sharing a report that highlights important milestones, showcasing the steps being taken to safeguard human rights, both within the organizational ranks and supply chain.

The report helps increase transparency on human rights issues for it and its brands, the company said.

Based on the UN Guiding Principles Reporting Framework, the report is the result of a global human rights due diligence that began in 2018 and was designed to increase engagement on human rights both internally and externally.

Additionally, the report assesses current human rights management policies, processes and governance, while also outlining the outcome of this due diligence and providing a road map for future actions, the company said.

“2020 is a historic year of unprecedented events arising from the COVID-19 outbreak and the worldwide protests in support of racial justice and equality. These events once again make us realize that, as a global retailer, we play a pivotal role in society. We have a big responsibility to set the right example and help dismantle structures that systematically disadvantage some and advantage others,” Frans Muller, CEO of Ahold Delhaize, said. “To this end, I am pleased to see we are making progress in our human rights policies, but we’re not there yet and more work must be done. Our commitment to respect human rights and address the many challenges related to that commitment cannot be fulfilled alone. It requires collaboration and partnership both across the food chain and in our communities.”

Ahold Delhaize also identified six human rights issues it will focus on as initial priorities, and six additional relevant issues, the company said.

The company will report publicly on its human rights commitments in its annual report to both external stakeholders and relevant benchmarks, as well as externally issue a sequel to the report showcasing progress on the road map.