"More companies adopt human rights commitments," 29 May 2019

All major lead firms in the garment, footwear and electronics industries in Việt Nam have adopted a policy commitment on human rights and ethical issues, a baseline study on the “Implementation of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights in the Garment, Footwear and Electronics Supply Chains in Việt Nam” has found.

...Đỗ Quỳnh Chi, a researcher at the Research Centre for Employment Relations, said: “There are two types of human rights policy commitments: one is a policy commitment developed exclusively by the lead firm for its own company and business partners; and the other is the adoption of an ethical Code of Conduct (CoC) developed by a third-party organisation.”

In terms of labour rights, the surveyed lead firms are generally committed to the four core labour standards: elimination of child labour, employment is freely chosen (no forced labour), no discrimination in employment, and freedom of association and collective bargaining...

They also commit to other important standards such as no excessive working hours, occupational safety and health, humane treatment, payment of minimum and/or living wage and regular employment.

“An increasing number of lead firms have extended the requirements to comply with their human rights codes of conduct to all tiers of suppliers, including indirect ones,” Chi said.

The survey also came up with many other findings, including the fact a number of lead firms have established hotlines for workers in their supply chains to raise grievances.

Sean O’Connell, human rights and innovation officer, UNDP Vietnam, said the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), adopted unanimously by the UN Human Rights Council in 2011, provided the first global standard for preventing and addressing the risk of adverse impacts on human rights linked to business activity and would continue to provide the internationally accepted framework for enhancing standards and practices regarding business and human rights.

Matthieu Penot, programme manager, development and cooperation section, European Union Delegation to Việt Nam, said the baseline study was conducted under the framework of the project Business and Human Rights in Trade Relations and Global Supply Chains in Việt Nam implemented by the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung and Centre for Development and Integration.