"United Nations Annual Forum on Business and Human Rights: Paul Bulcke's Keynote Statement", 2 Dec 2014

...As companies, we need to fully recognise that our position in society comes with both opportunities, but also responsibilities...that start first and foremost with conducting our business the right way, in compliance with national laws, international standards and in full compliance with fundamental values and principles...The UN Framework and Guiding Principles has conditioned companies to be more explicit, and include human rights much more pro-actively in their policies and the way they conduct their business...It is in the actions, on the ground, where respect for human rights is visible...So, how can a company like ours, with over 460 factories, a presence in almost every country in the world...ensure that it lives up to it in everything it does, everywhere? We have formally incorporated our human rights commitment into our Corporate Business Principles and into our Management Principles. These are the guiding principles we expect each and every Nestlé employee to live by, every day, wherever they are in the world. And these are not negotiable...[A]t Nestlé, we fundamentally believe that for a company to be successful over time, it has to connect positively with society in all aspects of its activities...One thing has become evident over time: having the right policies, procedures and management systems...is not enough. It is the implementation...which creates the trust necessary to be successful over time, as a company and as a society...