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Business, human rights and modern slavery
At NatWest Group, we understand that businesses have an important role to play in promoting respect for human rights. We seek to promote and respect human rights through the continued implementation of policies and practices covering our colleagues, customers and suppliers.
Respecting Human Rights
This approach reflects our desire to maximise any positive impacts and reduce, where possible, any potential negative impacts that our activity and the activity in our value chain, may have on society.
Respect for human rights is linked to our purpose and our approach is outlined in the Human Rights Position Statement (PDF 111KB) and in our Human Rights Approach diagram (PDF 268KB).
Understanding the importance of human rights, our approach is guided by the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) and is informed by other internationally accepted standards.
NatWest Group engages on the responsibilities of businesses in respecting human rights. We are a member of the Thun Group, which discusses how the financial service sector can incorporate and embed the UNGPs into due diligence processes. We also participate in several indices and benchmarks which help to inform our activity and identify opportunities to continually improve our approach.
We have established a human rights steering group, a management group that brings representatives from across NatWest Group together to coordinate our activities, and to make recommendations to NatWest Group Executive Committee and Board to develop and strengthen our approach.
Tackling modern slavery and human trafficking
Modern slavery and human trafficking is a growing global issue affecting women, men and children. At NatWest Group, we understand we have a role to play in combatting the risk of modern slavery and human trafficking within our own operations and supply chain.
We welcomed the introduction of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and its aim of eradicating modern slavery from commercial organisations within the UK. We understand that, as long as slavery exists, more needs to be done to tackle it.
We published our fifth Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement in June 2021.
2017-2018 Statement (PDF 177KB)