IKEA was invited to respond to the following:

1. Respond to the report’s findings, and
2. Disclose what steps it has taken to investigate and remedy workers for the abuse reported.

At Al-Futtaim IKEA, the IKEA franchisee in Qatar, we are committed to having a positive impact on people, society, and the planet. Our operations and value chain are fundamental parts in achieving this ambition, and therefore, we take working conditions, sustainability, and social rights very seriously. Abuse of human rights (including labour rights) have no place in our operations or value chain. With our vision to create a better everyday life for the many people, we are committed to putting respect for human rights as a foundation for all business operations, decisions, and relationships. We continuously conduct human rights due diligence to understand and address our impact, so we can contribute to reducing inequalities and contribute to more resilient societies. We follow the Inter IKEA Group Franchisee Code of Conduct (IConduct) which is based on international human rights standards and clearly defined, high standards for environmental, safety and social conditions apply globally to all IKEA franchisees , with compliance mandatory. We apply the same standards to the business partnerships with our suppliers. Before agreeing to work with any new partner or supplier, they must confirm adherence to these, which USM Qatar did.

Under no circumstances does Al-Futtaim IKEA accept breaches in human rights, of requirements set for working conditions in our value chain, or productions not living up to our safety standards. It is our responsibility as a business to ensure that our standards and requirements are being met by our partners and we take this responsibility seriously, so we were deeply troubled to hear of the reports regarding USM. As a result, we launched an investigation guided by the IConduct regulations and while no deviations from our supplier requirements were found, we will continue our dialogue with USM and all our partners to continue to ensure the best possible standards across our business.