Human rights
- Conduct a sustainable business that supports and respects human rights
- Promote the protection of international human rights within our sphere of influence
- Reach out to promote the right to health
- Actively promote equal opportunities and diversity
- Make a valuable difference by our example and presence
- Contribute to the development of international standards on human rights for business
Conduct a sustainable business that supports and respects human rights
The Novo Nordisk Way of Management comprises our Vision, Values, Commitments, Fundamentals and Policies. Novo Nordisk is committed to financial, environmental and social responsibility. We conduct our business with the understanding that these three commitments must be balanced in order to achieve a sustainable business. This is what we call the Triple Bottom Line.
Our support for the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights has been an important part of our commitment to social responsibility since 1998. Our commitment entails that we work continuously to improve our social performance by setting high objectives and integrating human rights considerations into our daily business. We maintain an open dialogue with our stakeholders and report annually on our social performance.
Novo Nordisk’s initiatives on corporate responsibility have long been informed and guided by international human rights standards. Novo Nordisk recognises that it takes a special effort to monitor human rights performance in a worldwide organisation. In 2004 Novo Nordisk launched a new initiative to develop a comprehensive approach to corporate human rights management.
Promote the protection of international human rights within our sphere of influence
Novo Nordisk will promote and protect human rights at our offices and factories throughout the world and will encourage our stakeholders to do the same.
In 2001 Novo Nordisk signed the United Nations Global Compact. We have thereby committed ourselves to support and respect the protection of human rights throughout our sphere of influence. We regard our sphere of influence as any stakeholder relating to Novo Nordisk over which the company can exert influence. Furthermore, Novo Nordisk wants to exercise a positive influence in the business community by taking a leadership role in relation to human rights and corporate responsibility.
Novo Nordisk will make sure that it does not become complicit in human rights violations. To Novo Nordisk any practical assistance or encouragement of a human rights violation will constitute complicity. Complicity may also occur if a company authorises, tolerates or knowingly ignores human rights violations by a business partner as part of their business relationship. Novo Nordisk will remain alert on the human rights situation on all the markets we operate and where violations occur to ensure that we do not encourage, assist, facilitate or in any way contribute to such violations.
Novo Nordisk has since 2000 conducted a programme of systematic evaluation of its suppliers. The evaluation comprises key aspects of human rights.
Novo Nordisk values transparency in its operations and openness about human rights dilemmas. Novo Nordisk will provide the public with all relevant facts about its conduct and is always willing to engage in an open minded dialogue.
Reach out to promote the right to health
Novo Nordisk wants to use its position as a world leader in diabetes care in its proactive efforts to promote human rights.
Novo Nordisk’s strategy for improved access to diabetes care is built on the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) four priorities for access to health. We believe that Novo Nordisk can play a leading role in helping people with diabetes around the world achieve greater access to health.
As part of its Global Health Strategy, Novo Nordisk has established a best possible pricing scheme. It allows least developed countries to purchase insulin at a price not to exceed 20% of the average price in the industrialised countries.
Even at significantly reduced prices, the availability cannot in itself provide treatment of the poorest people. In a special effort to reach out to all people with diabetes we have in 2001 established the World Diabetes Foundation.
Actively promote equal opportunities and diversity
Promoting equal opportunities (EO) and diversity is a vital part of fulfilling our commitment to social responsibility and human rights. People with diverse backgrounds and perspectives are essential for creating and maintaining the innovative capacity that is fundamental to the continuing success of our company.
The Novo Nordisk strategy on EO and diversity aims at strengthening the ability of the organisation to benefit from the opportunities of increasingly diverse societies. Novo Nordisk has developed a systematic approach to ensure that all current and future employees have equal opportunities in the company. In 2004 Novo Nordisk has made a set of guidelines distributed to all managers worldwide to ensure equal opportunities through all stages of employment from recruitment to termination.
Make a valuable difference by our example and presence
Sound business and economic development is a necessary foundation for human rights. Novo Nordisk believes that trade and commercial activities across borders encourage greater understanding of human rights, and that Novo Nordisk can make a valuable difference by our presence and our example.
Novo Nordisk recognises that our presence in certain countries presents a dilemma between our commitment to the people whose health depends on us and the risk of contributing to oppressive regimes. We have chosen to stay, as long as we can positively contribute to human rights in the society and help improving the overall situation.
Contribute to the development of international standards on human rights for business
Novo Nordisk believes that businesses as members of society can play an important role in the protection and promotion of human rights. Governments carry the primary responsibility for protecting human rights but companies can contribute significantly by conducting responsible business.
Novo Nordisk is in principle in favour of the establishment over time of standards on human rights applicable to business. Novo Nordisk believes that human rights can further global peace and stability leading to sustainable social development also to the benefit of business. Novo Nordisk finds that common standards for business would help to provide a level playing field and prevent human rights violations. However, it is important that such standards are clear and operational. To contribute to meet these challenges Novo Nordisk has joined the Business Leaders Initiative on Human Rights (BLIHR) which gathers a group of leading companies under the chair of former UN High Commissioner of Human Rights Mary Robinson.
