Respecting human rights
Fortescue is committed to respecting and promoting the human rights of all people.
Human rights
Fortescue is committed to respecting and promoting the human rights of all people including our employees, the communities in which we operate, those within our supply chains and those who may be impacted by our activities.
Our Human Rights Policy outlines our business conduct, which strives to be consistent with the International Bill of Human Rights, the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the principles concerning fundamental rights set
out in the International Labour Organization’s Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. We are also a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact.
Our Code of Conduct and Integrity and Human Rights Policy are the foundation documents for human rights protection across Fortescue. Our Human Rights Policy is applicable to our directors, employees, contractors and suppliers.
We respect human rights through a range of mechanisms, including:
- Actively communicating our approach and expectations to all stakeholders, including suppliers.
- Seeking to secure the consent of First Nations peoples for mineral and energy exploration and development on their traditional lands.
- Improving our security performance by implementing the Voluntary Principles as an engaged member of the Voluntary Principles for Business and Human Rights.
- Engaging with stakeholders to understand the impacts of our activities and working with them to optimise benefits and limit negative impacts.
- Undertaking ongoing due diligence to identify, prevent and mitigate the adverse impacts of our activities, capturing outputs in our corporate risk register.
- Participating in engagement sessions related to human rights policy and regulatory development.
Human rights management
To ensure continuous improvement we work to strengthen and refine our management of human rights. Key focus areas include:
- Considering human rights in our investments and acquisitions, including a human rights assessment being conducted for our acquisition of WAE.
- Conducting human rights due diligence for sourcing and purchasing activities and promoting our expectations via engagements and contract clauses.
- Developing a human rights screening tool to help teams identify possible human rights impacts related to business activities and determine mitigation strategies.
- Undertaking additional human rights due diligence via specialist third party sources and our GMC intelligence analysts.
- Using a third party Environment Social & Governance Monitor to analyse human rights risks at a country level.
- Implementing a Human Rights Impact Assessment tool that indicates when an HRIA should be conducted.
- Implementing a social performance toolkit, including guidance to avoid physical and economic displacement of project-affected people where possible. This process is consistent with the International Finance Corporation Performance Standard 5: Land Acquisition and Involuntary Resettlement.
- Chairing an internal cross-functional Human Rights Advisory Group to discuss human rights related matters, provide support and share knowledge.
- Implementing the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights throughout our business.
- Our Sustainability team includes human rights specialists that provide guidance and advice to the business on human rights related matters, including due diligence and the management of grievances.
Modern Slavery
Fortescue opposes all forms of slavery in its operations and the operations of our suppliers.
Our processes to address modern slavery involve identifying, assessing and mitigating human rights impacts and providing access to remedy through effective grievance mechanisms. We work in collaboration with our suppliers to eradicate modern slavery from our supply chain and aim to continually strengthen our actions.
Procurement and Suppliers
Fortescue procures a wide range of products and services and recognises that its procurement responsibilities extend beyond our supplier relationships. We are committed to ensuring our procurement practices meet the highest standards.
Fortescue’s Procurement Policy outlines our approach to procurement which includes a zero tolerance for modern slavery in our supply chain.
Sustainable Procurement Standard outlines Fortescue’s expectations of its suppliers and their supply chain, in relation to governance, ethics and sustainability matters such as human rights and modern slavery. Compliance with this Standard is taken into consideration during the contract award process and performance assessments during the contract term.
Fortescue’s Standard Terms and Conditions also include modern slavery and/or forced labour provisions.
Collaboration and Partnerships
The eradication of modern slavery requires a collaborative approach where government business, civil society and the wider community work together to address human rights and modern slavery issues.
Fortescue proudly works collaboratively with the following groups to achieve this joint goal:
- Global Compact Network Australia (GNCA) and GNCA’s Modern Slavery Community Practice (COP)
- Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights (Engaged Corporate Member)
- Walk Free
- Minderoo Foundation
- Founding member of the Human Rights Resource and Energy Collaborative.
Feedback
You can provide feedback directly to Fortescue by using the “Contact Us” link to submit an online enquiry form. Please select the “Community Enquiries” enquiry type in the drop-down box on the form.
Whistleblower Hotline
Fortescue’s Whistleblower Hotline is operated externally and is available for anyone to confidentially raise genuine concerns, seek further assistance and report potential conduct breaches, including concerns related to human rights.
