Code of Ethics & Conduct
IUCAB Code of Ethics
- Commercial agents shall always act in accordance with the principles of good faith and fair dealing towards both their principals, customers and other commercial agents.
- Commercial agents shall constantly strive to establish long lasting business relationships between their principals and customers.
- Commercial agents shall constantly strive to safeguard the image of the principal towards the market.
- Commercial agents shall ensure that the best possible level of communication and understanding is attained between their principals and customers.
- Commercial agents shall never make warranties in excess of the warranties given by the principal.
- Commercial agents shall avoid any form of misrepresentation.
- Commercial agents shall not represent directly competing products or services where this would be inconsistent with their duties towards their principals.
- Commercial agents shall recognise their business activities as an imperative part of the sales organisation of their principal.
- Commercial agents shall constantly safeguard and improve the image of the commercial agency profession.
The IUCAB Member Associations are asked to invite their members to comply with the above ethical standards as recommended by IUCAB.
IUCAB Recommended Code of Conduct
IUCAB recommends that its National Member Associations shall make their members aware of the following recommendations for the operation of their business in compliance with the standards and ethical practices listed below which include those expressed in the UN Convention for Children as well as the ILO Convention regarding Working Conditions and Rights and the EU Regulation on chemical law REACH.
Engagement criteria
The following engagement criteria primarily address issues under the control of business partners, suppliers and vendors.
A prior examination should be made of the social, political and business environments of the countries where any kind of cooperation is planned.
Ethical standards
Business should only be done with those who use sound and legal practices, minimise the potential for conflicts of interest, prohibit the giving or receiving of gifts and gratuities, place the utmost importance in truth and full disclosure, and comply with all specifications, quality criteria and product requirements.
Health & safety
All business partners should be committed to a safe and healthy work place and should comply with all applicable laws and regulations that apply to health and safety. Furthermore, there should be appropriate methods for dealing with hazardous materials. All partners providing residential facilities should maintain them in a healthy and safe manner.
Environmental
All business partners should be committed to environmentally safe practices and should be in compliance with local, national, federal and international regulations. Care should be taken with environmentally sensitive substances or processes.
All business partners involved in production should seek to actively minimise its environmental effects and follow local law and regulations including the EU Regulation on chemical law REACH. Forbidden chemical substances are unacceptable.
Employment practices
Business should only be done with those who do not subject their workers to physical risks, recognise the right of free association, and do not exploit their workers. Mental or physical threats and physical punishment of any kind should not be allowed.
Wages and benefits should comply with the law and prevailing local practice. All fees and/or wages deductions should be fair and reasonable. Working hours must be preset on a daily, weekly and monthly basis with compensation for overtime. Child labour should not be used by partners, suppliers or their suppliers. A child is a person under the age of 16 years, or 14 years depending on national legislation. No forced or prison labour should be used by partners, suppliers or their suppliers.
Non-discrimination, cultural diversity should be supported and employment practices should be based on skills and abilities. Business should not be done with those who discriminate in any way.
Corruption, including blackmailing and bribes, should not be tolerated.
General
The intention is only to do business with partners, sources and vendors who contribute to the betterment of their communities and who train and develop their workers.
The IUCAB Recommended Code of Conduct is based on the following documents and is created in accordance with:
- UN’s conventions on Human Rights including Children’s Rights
- ILO’s (International Labour Organisation, a trade union organisation within the UN-system) conventions on working conditions and workers rights in the work place
- The Rio declaration on Environment and Development
- The UN’s convention on corruption
- Social Accountability International – Human Rights at Work, SA8000
- Standard providing guidelines for social responsibility, ISO26000
- Business Social Compliance Initiative, BSCI Code of Conduct
