Responsible Business Report 2021

COMMUNICATION ON PROGRESS 2021

A statement of continued support for the Global Compact

I am pleased to confirm that Julie Sandlau Vietnam continues supporting The Ten Principles of the Global Compact with respect to Human Rights, Labor Rights, Environment and Anti-Corruption. With this annual report, we express our intent to advance those principles within our sphere of influence. We are committed to make the Global Compact and its principles part of the strategy, culture and day-to-day operations of our company, and to engage in collaborative projects which advance the broader development goals of the United Nations, particularly 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Julie Sandlau Vietnam will make a clear statement of this commitment to our stakeholders and the general public.

17th November 2021

Mr. Soren Roed Pedersen

CEO/Julie Sandlau Vietnam

Introduction:

Company: Julie Sandlau Vietnam Co. Ltd.

Address: Km 9, Lang Hoa Lac Street, An Khanh Commune, Hoai Duc District, Hanoi, Vietnam.

Contact Person: Soren Roed Pedersen, General Director

Reporting Period: 18th November 2020 – 17th November 2021

Membership Date: 08th November 2012

Sector: Producing & exporting high-end jewellry

Number of employees: 200

Brief description of nature of business

The Company

Julie Sandlau Vietnam Co. Ltd is 100% foreign owned factory from Denmark located at Km 9 Lang Hoa Lac Street, An Khanh Commune, Hoai Duc District, Hanoi, Vietnam. We are specializing in producing & exporting high-end jewellry.

CSR

Julie Sandlau Vietnam (JSV) has high focus on social responsibility and as a part of our Corporate Social Responsibility stratergy, we aim to be able to comply according to the UN Global Compact and its 10 principles throughout the organization and collaborators.

Julie Sandlau Vietnam CSR Vision

Julie Sandlau Vietnam vision and intention is to act socially responsible both local and global based on the principle and intention of the UN Global Conduct and support the values within:

Human Rights

Principle 1: Businesses should support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights; and

Principle 2: make sure that they are not complicit in human rights abuses.

Labor

Principle 3: Businesses should uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining;

Principle 4: the elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labor;

Principle 5: the effective abolition of child labor; and

Principle 6: the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation.

Environment

Principle 7: Businesses should support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges;

Principle 8: undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility; and

Principle 9: encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies.

Anti-Corruption

Principle 10: Businesses should work against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery.

Availability of this COP

This COP is available online at www.unglobalcompact.org. It will also be distributed to clients and suppliers as well as being forwarded to any requesting parties.

This is the nineth CPO report since 2013 when Julie Sandlau Vietnam joined the Global Compact. The annual CPO report is an opportunity for us to review and re-evaluate what we have done during the year and to bring more incentives and motivation for our action plan next year.

This report shows our continuous efforts to advance the SDGs by operating responsibly in alignment with universal principles and finding opportunities to innovate, to address societal challenges.

From 2019 until now, the COVID-19 crisis is testing the world’s humanity and resilience at a time that is already marked by acute inequality. With the socio-economic impacts of the pandemic hitting vulnerable and marginalized groups particularly hard, JSV’s purpose of maintaining stable jobs for all current workers, creating more jobs for the workforce affected by covid, enhancing the safety and working environment, ensuring the interests of workers; and also using our best endeavour to promote responsible business practices into our supply chain. Throughout the year, we completed some remarkable works as follows:

JANUARY (Focus on SDG#3: Good Health and Well-being)

Organized annual training courses on ‘Occupational safety and health’, ‘First Aid’ for all employees

MARCH (Focus on Principle #1: human rights; Principle #5: the effective abolition of child labor)

Carried out training and periodic audits to monitor the working environment and incidence of sexual harassment. After the audit, we find no case of violence or harassment in the company, this is a testament to our effective efforts in building a healthy working environment
Carried out periodically check and interview to detect child labor. The results showed that there is no child labor in the company

APRIL (Principle #10: Businesses should work against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery; Focus on SDG#3: Good Health and Well-being)

Carried out risk assessment in all parts of the business that pose high risks of participation in bribery
Provided new industrial protective clothings and specific equipments for production departments
Carried out inspection of machines, equipment and materials with strict requirements on occupational safety

MAY (Principle #3: Businesses should uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining)

Conducted periodic dialogues at the workplace for information sharing, consultation, discussion and exchange of ideas between the company and trade union representatives, exchange of issues related to rights and interests, interests of the parties in order to enhance understanding, cooperation, and joint efforts towards a mutually beneficial solution

JUNE (Principle #7: Businesses should support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges; Focus on SDG#12: Responsible Consumption and Production; Focus on SDG#4: Quality education)

·Carried out periodic monitoring of air and wastewater environment. The results show that all parameters meet the standards as prescribed by Vietnam's environmental law
·Donated a large cash amount for Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation, support Vietnamese children and families in crisis

JULY (Focus on SDG#12: Responsible Consumption and Production; Focus on SDG#3: Good Health and Well-being)

Hanoi faced the 2th wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, which seriously affected the production and business of many enterprises, as well as the daily lives of workers, JSV decided to organize and implement “3-on-site” to ensure production safety. During this period, the company equipped on-site accommodations for workers which fully meets the necessary criteria for pandemic prevention and control, created decent conditions for workers residing at the company. Besides, the company had good remuneration (salary, benefits) for all, which can be considered as a stable source of income for their family in Covid period.

Carried out regular PCR test and COVID-19 rapid test for all workers to reduce the risk of outbreaks

AUGUST (Focus on SDG#12: Responsible Consumption and Production)

Renovated and rearranged the entire wastewater pipeline, completely separating wastewater and rainwater, ensuring maximum treatment efficiency of the RBM wastewater treatment system
Received a certificate from Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) with the highest level of compliance (3 years certificate), commencing from 26/08/2021. The certification number: 0000 3657. This achievement is a remarkable achievement in our sustainability journey, which confirms our commitment, in close collaboration with stakeholders in the value chain, to promote responsible and ethical practices within our business operations and core strategy through a continual dedication to improvement

SEPTEMBER (Focus on SDG#3: Good Health and Well-being; Focus on SDG#12: Responsible Consumption and Production)

Organized to bring all workers to get vaccinated against Covid 19
Donated a large cash amount for “Breathe Again” fund, which launched by The European Chamber of Commerce (EuroCham), aim at supporting hospitals and medical centers in the ﬁght against Covid 19 in Vietnam

OCTOBER (Focus on SDG#3: Good Health and Well-being; Focus on SDG#5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls; Focus on SDG#12: Responsible Consumption and Production)

·October was marked as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so we partnered with a local hospital to bring a full equipped mammogram screening bus, doctors, and nurses directly to our factory, ensuring free healthcare straight to our female workers
·Carried out periodic monitoring of air and wastewater environment. The results show that all parameters meet the standards as prescribed by Vietnam's environmental law
Mr Soren Roed Pedersen, CEO of Julie Sandlau Vietnam, won first place in all of Vietnam and received the 2021 UN Women WEPs Award in the category of Leadership Commitment and Action to promote gender equality. After the first step of signing the Women’s Empowerment Principles in 2020, receiving this award is a highlight and a testament to the commitment and unremitting efforts of the company in promoting gender equality and empowering women

NOVEMBER (Focus on SDG#3: Good Health and Well-being; Focus on SDG#12: Responsible Consumption and Production; Focus on SDG#1: No poverty)

Held periodical health checks for all our employees and came up with the result of no occupational diseases or infectious diseases
Conducted periodical monitoring of the working environment to collect and evaluate measurement data of important factors of the working environment at the workplace in order to have solutions to minimize harm to health, prevent occupational disease

Organized annual training courses on Fire fighting for all employees
Carried out annual lightning protection system inspection and maintenance to ensure it is capable of conducting a potential lightning strike to a safe earthing point
Financial support for employees with difficult circumstances greatly affected by Covid 19

Finally, we pledge to continue to adhere to the principles of the Agreement and to never stop our effort on building a better Organization in good environment of corporate culture.