Human Rights Due Diligence Report

East Africa Seaweed Company Limited

Date: 12/2024

1. Introduction

East Africa Seaweed Company Limited is committed to ensuring the respect, protection, and fulfillment of human rights across all operations and business relationships. As part of our commitment to sustainability and ethical business practices, we conduct Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD) in line with international standards such as the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. This report outlines the steps taken by [Company Name] to identify, assess, mitigate, and address human rights risks within our supply chain and operations, specifically focusing on the treatment of workers, local communities, and vulnerable groups.

2. Governance and Oversight of HRDD

To ensure the effective implementation of our HRDD processes, we have established a Human Rights Steering Committee (HRSC) that includes senior leadership, human resources, compliance, and sustainability managers. The HRSC is responsible for overseeing the integration of human rights into business practices, setting HRDD priorities, and monitoring progress.

The Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) is the primary executive responsible for the company’s human rights commitment, reporting directly to the CEO and Board of Directors.

3. HRDD Framework and Risk Assessment

Our HRDD framework follows a comprehensive, systematic approach to identifying and addressing human rights risks. This includes:

Risk Identification: We conduct both internal and external risk assessments to identify potential human rights risks across our operations and supply chains. This includes assessing the risk of child labor, forced labor, discrimination, unsafe working conditions, and the displacement of communities. We also engage with local communities, employees, and stakeholders to identify risks associated with land use, water access, and the environmental impact of our operations.
Risk Assessment Tools:
- Human Rights Impact Assessment (HRIA): This is performed regularly, with an emphasis on high-risk areas such as rural farming communities, supply chain partners, and regions where labor practices may be underregulated.
- Supplier Audits: We conduct periodic audits to evaluate our suppliers’ adherence to human rights standards.
Priority Areas: The following areas have been identified as the primary human rights risks within our operations:
- Labor Rights: Ensuring fair wages, safe working conditions, and protection against discrimination.
- Child Labor and Forced Labor: Ensuring that all workers are of legal working age and free from coercion.
- Land Use and Access: Ensuring that no community members are unlawfully evicted or deprived of their land or water rights due to company operations.

4. Mitigation and Preventive Actions

In response to identified risks, we have implemented the following measures:

Labor Standards and Fair Wages: We have adopted a Living Wage Policy that guarantees fair wages above the minimum legal wage in all countries of operation. We provide employees with paid leave, overtime compensation, and other benefits in accordance with national labor laws.
Training and Awareness: All employees, especially those in leadership and human resources, receive regular training on human rights topics, including non-discrimination, the prevention of child labor and forced labor, and health and safety standards.
Supply Chain Management: Our supply chain partners must adhere to our Code of Conduct, which outlines our expectations related to human rights, including the elimination of child and forced labor. We also work closely with suppliers to ensure that they implement appropriate human rights policies and practices.
Land Use and Water Access: We have implemented strict Land Use and Environmental Impact Policies to ensure that no unlawful evictions or unauthorized appropriation of land, water, or forest resources occur. We conduct community consultations before starting any new operations and aim to engage in fair negotiations with local communities for land access.

5. Stakeholder Engagement

We recognize the importance of engaging with stakeholders, especially local communities, employees, and workers in our supply chain. Our engagement efforts include:

Community Consultations: Before initiating operations, we meet with local communities to explain our activities, assess any concerns, and ensure that the potential impact on livelihoods is minimized.
Employee Feedback Mechanisms: We have established formal grievance mechanisms that are accessible to all employees. These mechanisms allow workers to report any concerns related to workplace conditions, harassment, or labor rights violations, with guarantees of confidentiality and protection from retaliation.
Collaboration with NGOs: We work with local and international non-governmental organizations to monitor our human rights practices and ensure continuous improvement. These organizations also help facilitate dialogue between the company and affected stakeholders.

6. Monitoring and Effectiveness

Monitoring the effectiveness of our human rights due diligence is essential to ensure that the implemented measures are functioning as intended. To monitor our human rights commitment, we:

Conduct Annual Audits: We engage third-party auditors to assess the effectiveness of our human rights policies and practices. Auditors review employee satisfaction, supplier compliance, and community feedback to ensure that we remain compliant with our human rights commitments.
KPIs for Human Rights: We measure our human rights performance using key performance indicators (KPIs) such as:
- Number of labor violations reported and resolved.
- Percentage of suppliers meeting human rights standards.
- Employee training completion rates on human rights topics.
- Grievances received and resolved.
Corrective Actions: If any issues or violations are identified, we implement corrective actions, which may include additional training, policy revisions, or changes to business practices.

7. Grievance Mechanisms and Remediation

We have set up an accessible grievance mechanism through which affected individuals or groups can report human rights violations. The grievance mechanism is:

Confidential: Affected parties can file complaints without fear of retaliation.
Accessible: Available through multiple channels, including a dedicated hotline, email, and in-person reporting mechanisms.
Fair and Transparent: Each grievance is reviewed and resolved within an established timeframe, and affected parties are informed of the resolution process.

Where human rights violations are identified, we are committed to remediation by taking appropriate corrective action, which may include compensating affected individuals or communities.

8. Future Commitments and Continuous Improvement

We are committed to continuous improvement in our human rights practices. In the coming year, we plan to:

Expand human rights training to all employees in our supply chain.
Strengthen our land use policies to ensure greater community involvement in decision-making.
Enhance our monitoring systems to more effectively track human rights performance.
Establish more rigorous criteria for assessing the impact of our operations on local communities, including those involved in seaweed farming and fishing.

9. Conclusion

East Africa Seaweed Company Limited remains committed to integrating human rights into our business operations and ensuring that our supply chain adheres to the highest standards of human rights protection. This report provides a comprehensive overview of the measures we have taken and will continue to take to ensure that our operations do not cause or contribute to human rights violations. By monitoring and improving our human rights due diligence efforts, we aim to contribute positively to the communities in which we operate and lead by example in the seaweed industry.

This report represents a transparent approach to human rights due diligence, in line with East Africa Seaweed Company Limited commitment to sustainability, ethics, and continuous improvement.