(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) Artel Electronics LLC (Artel), Central Asia's largest home
appliance manufacturer, has published its first Communication on
Progress report as part of the UN Global Compact (UNGC). The UNGC
is the world's largest business community dedicated to sustainable
development, with members including Microsoft, Panasonic and
Nestle. Artel was one of Uzbekistan's first companies to become a
full participant of the program.
In joining the Global Compact, Artel committed to 10 principles
of the UN Global Compact in the fields of human rights, labor
rights, environmental protection and anti-corruption, and to
advance the UN's 27 Sustainable Development Goals.
Every year, participants must report their activities in these
directions and progress in aligning with ESG standards. Artel's
report outlined its progress to and including November 2022.
In human rights and labor rights, Artel has paid attention to
initiatives that give a voice to employees. Regular“Meet the
Management” sessions have been introduced as well as an anonymous
whistleblowing function, through which employees can raise concerns
directly to the top management. A full-time compliance officer also
now works at the company.
As a key project, the company introduced an internal legal
clinic that provides objective and impartial information to
employees of the company on legal issues. Elsewhere, the company
also championed Gender Equality, by joining the UNFPA and UN Women
to help advertise the #OrangeTheWorld campaign around Uzbekistan,
and participated in several projects on female empowerment.
As a result of the company's efforts, the proportion of women
employed has risen by 5% in the last year, and staff turnover has
decreased by 10%. This shows that the initiatives of the company in
HR have been particularly effective.
In environmental protection, Artel has been working on its
R&D and is introducing technology that increases efficiency and
reduces consumption of electricity, gas and water. The company is
also working with international consultants to assess its emissions
and create a sustainability strategy. Artel also planted over 4,000
trees in the national Yashil Makon initiative to create a greener
environment for all.
Finally, the company has been working hard to identify and
tackle instances of corruption. Artel has radically overhauled
corporate governance in line with international standards. It has
introduced a supervisory board, specific committees covering areas
of responsibilities, and an Independent Director, former Vice
President of Samsung Mr. Kim Uy Tak. The company has also
introduced an anti-corruption policy, an anonymous whistleblowing
function with a full-time compliance officer. The whistleblowing
function allows employees to raise concerns securely in a way that
is reported directly to the top management.
Other social projects include providing urgent medical care to
children, water provision to rural areas, and aid in response to
natural disasters such as provision of appliances to new houses
following the flooding in Jizzakh.
In line with its participation in the UNGC, Artel was also
instrumental in initiating Uzbekistan's first“Championing Business
Sustainability” conference with the UN, the first ESG conference
directed at the Uzbek private sector. Artel looks forward to
building on this progress in 2023, and continuing its contribution
to the UN's Sustainability Development Goals. As an active
participant of the UNGC, the company hopes to be an example to
similar businesses in Uzbekistan in advancing their ESG agenda.