1-Sustainable Development Foundations’ Values:

Respect for basic human rights, social justice, human dignity, and observing the equal rights of men and women are the highest values we expect SDF suppliers to achieve and implement.

To achieve this end and goal, we have developed this Code, believing in its importance and the importance of the ten principles contained in the United Nations Global Compact viewed as an essential means of integrating the principles of the Compact in the operations of the Foundation. The Code of conduct addresses the issues listed in the compact of human rights, work, environment, and anticorruption. Suppliers interested in further information about the ten principles may visit the global charter website on the internet .

www.unglobalcompact.org.

2-International agreements and recommendations related to work:

International labor standards i.e. Conventions and Recommendations, as developed by the International Labor Organization, the specialized tripartite agency associated with the United Nations, serve as the basis for most of this Code of Conduct. The Foundation expects any supplier to provide its services to the Sustainable Development Foundation in compliance with the values of its charter and the principles related to international labor standards.

3-Scope of Application:

The Foundation expects that these Principles will apply to suppliers and their employees, their parents, subsidiary and related entities, and their subcontractors. The Foundation expects suppliers to ensure that this Code of Conduct is communicated to their employees, parents, subsidiary and associated entities, and subcontractors, in the local language and a manner understood by all.

For the supplier to register himself in the lists of suppliers of the Sustainable Development Foundation or to do business with the Foundation, he must read this code of conduct and acknowledge that it stipulates the minimum standards expected of him.

Suppliers should note that some provisions of this Code of Conduct will be binding on suppliers if one of them is awarded a Foundation contract according to the terms and conditions of any such contract.

Failure to comply with certain provisions of this Code may prevent suppliers from qualifying for a contract, as described in the application documents of one or more United Nations organizations.

4- Continuous Improvement:

The provisions in this Code develop the minimum standards expected of the Foundation's suppliers. We expect suppliers to strive to excel in best practices in the relevant business. The Sustainable Development Foundation also expects its suppliers to encourage and work with their suppliers and subcontractors to adhere to the principles of this Code of Conduct. The Foundation recognizes that reaching the standards outlined in this Code of Conduct is a dynamic process rather than static and encourages suppliers to continue to improve their working environment conditions accordingly.

 

5- Management, Monitoring, and Evaluation:

The Sustainable Development Foundation expects its suppliers, as a minimum, to have established clear objectives to meet the criteria set out in this Code of Conduct. We also expect suppliers to put in place and maintain an adequate management system consistent with the content of this Code of Conduct, and to actively review, monitor and adjust their administrative and business processes to ensure that other suppliers are encouraged to implement humanitarian principles and that grantees are informed annually of their progress in this regard.

The Sustainable Development Foundation may ensure that milestones are set, and management systems are established to ensure the achievement of the principles stipulated in this code of conduct. Failure to do so may affect the supplier’s ability to deal with the Foundation or one of its partners in the future. To review the progress of suppliers and their subcontractors in implementing the Code of Conduct, the Foundation may take some measures and actions, for example, to certify that they represent the Code of Conduct, and sometimes to take action on On-site assessments and inspections of suppliers' facilities and their subcontractors' facilities.

6- Work:

A- Ensuring non-discrimination and collective equality

Sustainable Development Foundation expects its suppliers to recognize workers' rights without discrimination as guaranteed by national and international local laws and to protect them from any action or other form of discrimination in the exercise of their right to expression or to engage in union or collective bargaining activity.

B- Forced or Compulsory Labor:

The Sustainable Development Foundation expects its suppliers to prohibit forced or compulsory labor in all its forms.

C- Child labor:

The Sustainable Development Foundation expects its suppliers not to use: Children under 14 years, or those over that age, if the minimum age permitted by law to work in the country or countries where the contract will be executed is over 18 years, which will be considered by its nature or under the circumstances in which it takes place harmful to person's health, safety, or morals.

D- Discrimination:

The Sustainable Development Foundation expects its suppliers to ensure equality of opportunity and treatment in employment and occupation, without any discrimination based on race, color, sex, religion, political opinion, national or social origin, or any other reason recognized under the national law of the country or countries, where the contract will be executed as a whole or partially.

The Sustainable Development Foundation expects its suppliers to take all legal measures to ensure that none of their associates, subsidiary and contracted entities engage in any gender-based or other discriminatory employment practices, including those involved in recruitment, promotion, training, wages, and benefits.

 

E- Wages, Working Hours, and Other work conditions:

The Sustainable Development Foundation expects its suppliers to ensure that wages are paid in legal currency, at regular intervals of no more than one month, and paid directly in full to the workers concerned. Suppliers should keep a proper record of these payments. No deductions from wages should be allowed except in the circumstances and within the limits provided by law or regulations to be enforced, and suppliers should inform the concerned workers of such deductions first. The wages, working hours, and other working conditions applied by suppliers should not be less favorable than the best prevailing local conditions (1 arbitration award; 2 applicable laws or regulations).

 

F- Health and Safety:

The Sustainable Development Foundation expects suppliers to ensure, to the maximum extent reasonably practicable, that:

-        The workplaces, machinery, equipment, and processes under their control are safe and do not form any danger to health.

-        The chemicals, materials, and physical and biological agents under their control, if any, are under their control. It does not pose any danger to health when appropriate protective measures are taken.

-        Provide appropriate protective clothing and equipment to prevent, to the extent that it can be reasonably applied, the risk of accidents or harmful effects on health, whether during transportation, storage, delivery, purchase, or other operations.

 

7-Human Rights

The Sustainable Development Foundation expects its suppliers to uphold internationally proclaimed human rights, respect their protections, and ensure they are not complicit in human rights abuses.

A- Harassment, cruel or inhuman treatment:

-      The Sustainable Development Foundation expects its suppliers, their affiliated entities, and their subsidiaries, associates, and contractors to:

-      Create and maintain an environment for all users to be treated with respect and dignity.

- Not to use threats of violence, verbal or psychological abuse, harassment, and, or sexual exploitation and abuse, nor to engage in or allow their employees or other hired persons to use it. Sexual exploitation and abuse violate universally recognized international legal norms and standards and were, and will continue to be, unacceptable and prohibited behavior in the Foundation.

-        Suppliers are advised of the Standards of Conduct regarding the prohibition of sexual exploitation and abuse, as set out here. These standards include, but are not limited to, the prohibition of the following:

-        (i) Engage in any sexual activity with a person under the age of eighteen, regardless of any laws relating to the age of majority or consent;

-        (ii) The exchange of any money, job opportunities, goods, services, or other things of value in exchange for sex, and (iii) any sexual activity that is exploitative or degrading to any person.

-        At the organization, we expect our suppliers to create and maintain an environment that prevents sexual exploitation and abuse from occurring. By including provisions in the Foundation's contracts regarding the supplier's obligation to take appropriate measures to prevent sexual exploitation and abuse. Failure of the supplier to take preventive measures to combat sexual exploitation and abuse, the failure to conduct investigations into the allegations related to them, and the failure to take corrective measures when a sexual exploitation or violation occurred, all constitute the reasons for terminating any agreement with the Foundation.

-        In addition to all of the above, no cruel or inhumane treatment, coercion or corporal punishment of any kind, or any threat of such treatment can be tolerated.

B- Mines

The Foundation expects its suppliers to work diligently not to become involved in the sale or manufacture of antipersonnel mines or components used to manufacture antipersonnel mines.

8-Environment:

A- Environmental issues:

The Foundation expects that its suppliers will have an effective environmental policy, comply with existing regulations and legislation relating to environmental protection, and take initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility and encourage the deployment of environmentally friendly technologies that apply sound life cycle practices.

B- Chemical and Dangerous Substances:

Chemicals and other substances that present a hazard when released into the environment must be identified, managed, safely handled, transported, stored, refined, reused, and disposed of.

C- Emissions

Chemical emissions to the air, volatile organic materials, aerosols, rusting agents, particulates, ozone-depleting chemicals, and process combustion by-products must be identified, monitored, controlled, and appropriately treated before getting rid of it or disposed.

 

D- It is necessary to reduce waste to a minimum and increase its recycling to the maximum extent

possible: Substituting materials, preserving nature, refining materials, and reusing them

9-Ethical Behavior:

 

A- Corruption:

The Foundation expects its suppliers to adhere to the highest standards of moral and ethical behavior, to respect local and relevant laws, and not to engage in any form of corruption, including extortion, fraud, or bribery.

B- Conflict of Interest:

The suppliers must disclose to the Foundation any situation of conflict of interest or suspected conflict of interest that may arise. He shall disclose to the Foundation whether any Foundation's officers or contracted technical staff has an interest of any kind in the work performed by the supplier or he has any kind of economic ties with the supplier.

C Gifts and Hospitality:

The Foundation adopts a “zero tolerance” policy for violating the following:

Accept any kind of gift or any kind of hospitality offer.

The Foundation accepts any invitation to attend sporting or cultural events, offer to spend holidays or take other recreational trips, transportation, or an invitation to lunch or dinner.

The Foundation expects its suppliers not to provide any benefit, such as free goods, services, a position to work, or an opportunity to sell, to any of the Foundation's employees to facilitate their work with it.

D- Imposed Restrictions after the end of service:

The imposed restrictions after the end service apply to the staff who are still working with the Foundation and those former staff who were involved in the procurement, in case those people had already had professional transactions with the suppliers. The suppliers of the Foundation are expected to refrain from offering jobs to those who left Foundation within a year.

Communication channels:

Questions about the code of conduct may be forwarded to the procurement email of the Sustainable Foundation

Procurement@sdfyemen.org