Carrefour was one of the first companies to sign the 2013 Bangladesh Accord on Fire & Building Safety (c.f. article No. 130323) and is also one of the first to have renewed its commitment as part of the new Accord signed on 10 July 2017 (c.f. article No. 10278). Bertrand Swiderski, Carrefour CSR Head explains why the group is so committed.
- While the first Bangladesh Accord was being concluded in 2013, the major brand names and companies were divided into two camps, namely one for those which signed up to the Accord and one for those critical of the legally binding nature of the Accord that chose to develop an alternative initiative. Did this fact not leave you somewhat uncomfortable?
Bertrand Swiderski. We saw the ‘common cause’ as being more important than the ‘legally binding’ issue. In addition the Accord fitted in perfectly well with the major thrusts of our CSR strategy. First we have control processes as regards our suppliers’ compliance with our contracts that include internal controls and external audits, which reflect our Human Rights commitments.
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