Human Rights or Human Rights are rights that all human beings have equality, dignity, rights, freedom and equality, which are basic matters that belong to all of us.
Have you ever wondered who is behind the production line of the things we use and the food we drink every day? Do the workers who deliver products to people around the world live comfortably, receive fair wages, and enjoy a good quality of life? And what can be done to improve their lives?
“These are questions that consumers and modern business organizations must be seriously aware of because they are basic human rights principles regarding ethical employment,” said Nat-Nithipat Nantvaropas and Praw-Pramin Wongtrairat, International Cooperation Office on Sustainability and Corporate Communications, Charoen Pokphand Group, during a conversation with us.
In today’s rapidly changing economic and social developments, the role of business organizations is not only to deliver quality products to customers and generate profits, but also to be responsible towards society and the environment as part of the economic system. Charoen Pokphand Group is one of the first business organizations in Thailand to move forward in promoting business operations alongside respect for human rights.
Ms. Nat and Ms. Praw will share stories about human rights that are relevant to all of us, from birth to business operations, especially Charoen Pokphand Group’s labor practices that are in line with international standards to ensure that business operations create the least impact on society.
Rights that everyone has from birth
No matter who you are, where you live, or what your life is like, we are all born with fundamental rights and freedoms based on human values: dignity, respect, justice and equality.
“Human rights are a close-knit issue that is in every molecule of life. At this moment when you hold a smartphone in your hand, there are many dimensions of human rights in it. Is it produced with labor that is treated fairly? Even personal information stored in a smartphone is part of human rights that if you do not consent, no one can disclose it. Therefore, living life without considering human rights may have an impact on yourself and others without us knowing,” Ms. Prao explained.
Before joining Charoen Pokphand Group, Praw worked on human rights in the civil society sector. Moving to study and work in the private sector has made her realize the role and importance of business organizations that have sufficient resources to create changes in human rights.
“Working in this field allows us to directly interact with and talk to groups of people who are affected by human rights issues. There are many groups, and each group faces the impact in different ways. These experiences are not only relevant to our work, but also shape our lives, making us think more deeply to make sure that we are not unintentionally depriving anyone of their human rights,” added Nat.
Diversity Organization
“Charoen Pokphand Group has more than 450,000 employees. Of course, with such a large number of employees, there is a diversity in various aspects, such as age, gender, culture, and religion. Therefore, we adhere to the principle of equality and foster an organizational culture that accepts differences by providing a variety of suitable spaces to facilitate all employees.”
Ms. Nat continued to talk about the Universal Design Restroom Project, which was piloted at True Corporation Headquarters to make employees, especially LGBTQ people, feel safe using public spaces at work. In addition, religious prayer rooms or rooms have been built at affiliated establishments to facilitate Muslim employees.
Charoen Pokphand Group is the first company in Thailand to produce an annual Human Rights Report to disclose its approach to respecting human rights, due diligence processes, risk assessments, planning and solutions, with clear human rights indicators, open channels for complaints and transparent mechanisms for redress.
“Today, society around the world is more aware of human rights. People are more open and accepting of human diversity. Businesses are no exception. We must embrace and support all groups of people to have equal opportunities and be able to realize their full potential.”
Ms. Prao
Driven by transparency
Charoen Pokphand Group has established ethical employment practices by developing human rights policies and labor practices that comply with national laws and international standards to ensure that its business operations create the least negative impact on society.
“We have developed training courses to help companies that recruit migrant workers from various countries understand what a fair and open recruitment and selection process looks like, especially when recruiting people to work for Charoen Pokphand Group, where we are very strict that the entire process must be transparent to prevent any form of forced labor, whether it be child labor or illegal migrant labor, including the deception of any fees from those who want to work,” said Ms. Nat.
Ms. Praw added that this is a project that the team has been developing since 2019 until now. The results of changes in the area of ethical employment have grown and seen tangible results. In addition to direct driving work, Ms. Praw and Ms. Nat’s team also coordinates with many international human rights organizations to share experiences and useful data sets together.
“Exchanging information has shown us that while global problems are similar, they vary in detail based on regional, economic and social contexts. We have studied solutions from other regions, while also sharing our solutions with them so they can adapt them as well. This sharing helps move human rights movements together around the world, and the impact is even greater,” said Nat.
Setting new standards for society
From the perspective of working people, Ms. Nat and Ms. Prao said that since the day that Charoen Pokphand Group rose up to push for human rights as one of the first companies in Thailand, today we are starting to see many large business organizations gradually join in driving this issue seriously. Now, their dream is to see cooperation expand to medium and small-sized companies as well.
“Advocating for human rights is something that is sometimes seen as the responsibility of large organizations and requires a lot of resources,” said Ms. Praw. “But to be most effective and to fully respect human rights, small and large businesses, along with other sectors, must work together to drive this issue and raise social standards. The push can start today.”
For businesses, human rights are one of the sustainability issues that need to be given importance, along with pushing for environmental issues, because human resources are the heart of business. At the same time, consumers like us can also help drive this issue, whether at home, at work, at the mall, or at the park. Do you treat familiar people around you and strangers you meet with respect and equality?
“This issue may be new to many people, but it is very important that we live our lives with awareness of our own rights, without interfering with the rights of others, for the equality of people in society that will lead to the sustainability of the world.”
Ms. Nat
We adapt, the world changes. The Next Generation: Human Rights creates a world of equality and equity.
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We adjust, the world changes The Next Generation because we all can “change” the world for the better. Meet various ideas and actions from the new generation who have risen up to “adjust” their thinking and take action to jointly create a sustainable world.
#WeShiftWorldChange #NextGeneration #WeShiftWorldChange #EveryoneCanChangeTheWorldForTheBetter
