The UN Global Compact is a strategic policy initiative for businesses that are committed to aligning their operations and strategies with ten universally accepted principles. Anglo American joined the Global Compact in 2004, signalling our commitment to human rights, environmental stewardship, labour rights and anti-corruption.
Statement of support from our chairman, Sir John Parker
Anglo American remains fully supportive of the Global Compact and its ten principles on human rights, labour relations, environmental responsibility and anti-corruption. We see immense value in the multi-stakeholder approach of the Global Compact and its ability to bring various parties together to address some of the most pressing global issues we face today.
Our commitment to the Global Compact is consistent with our long-standing view that operating our businesses in a socially and environmentally responsible way, and earning and deserving trust, are fundamental to our licence to operate and to delivering long-term value to our investors.
In 2010 we made steady progress in further integrating sustainability into our overall business framework, making a real difference in several key areas of our business. The detail of our progress on implementing the principles of the Global Compact is set out in this Communication on Progress, but there are a few broader goals I would like to highlight. First of these is safety. Both our chief executive, Cynthia Carroll and I have been adamant that during our time in charge the primary human right we are seeking to deliver is that of all our employees and contractors to return home from work each day unharmed. We have made very significant improvements over the last three years but we remain focussed on our objective of zero injuries.
Also important is our duty to the wider society in which we operate. I am determined that we should build on Anglo American’s culture of good corporate citizenship, creating partnership at government level and investing in communities at local level to deliver real and lasting improvement in people’s lives.