Baxter Mission Statement in Germany

Baxter Mission Statement in Germany 

At Baxter in Germany*, we consider the protection of human rights to be a central element of our corporate responsibility. Our commitment to human rights is reflected in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Labor Organization (ILO) Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. We are committed to respecting internationally recognized human rights and environmental regulations and respecting them in our business activities and in our value chains. This includes the prohibition of child and forced labor, the prohibition of all forms of slavery and discrimination, and the strengthening of freedom of association.

We are also committed to compliance with occupational health and safety, the payment of appropriate wages and the minimization of environmental pollution. We recognize that no person or community shall be deprived of their property, land, or access to land and water without proper legal justification or due process. We are guided by the United Nations Guidelines on Business and Human Rights.

We place great emphasis on environmental compliance and optimized operations throughout our value chain, and actively seek ways to minimize our environmental footprint and mitigate risks, including with regard to the Minamata, POP and Basel Conventions.

This statement illustrates our fundamental commitment to respect for human rights, which is already reflected in other company policies. We embrace Baxter's commitments, principles, policies and goals and act collectively as "we."

As a global healthcare company operating in more than 100 countries, Baxter is committed to effective business management, compliance with the law, and a culture of ethics and compliance within the organization. Baxter was one of the first companies to adopt formal guidelines for corporate governance back in 1995. Improving our practices and setting new standards is an ongoing process and our current corporate governance policies reflect this evolution.

• Code of Conduct (Verhaltenskodex)
• Global Human Rights Policy (Globale Richtlinie zu Menschenrechten)

As stated in our Global Human Rights Policy, we respect human rights, dignity and diverse contributions of all individuals. The promotion of human rights in our direct and indirect actions takes many forms and is evident in many corporate principles and initiatives; in areas such as hiring practices, privacy, security, supply chain, ethical behavior, and access to healthcare.

In this way, we are committed to expanding, promoting and maintaining an inclusive and diverse workforce to better meet the needs of our employees, customers, suppliers, patients and family caregivers.

The foundation of Baxter's Environment, Health, Safety & Sustainability program is the Environment Health Safety & Sustainability Policy  (EHS&S) and the related Global Procedures, Framework & Resources (EHS&S) requirements, which set out the minimum standards that all Baxter Group companies must meet and maintain. Baxter follows a systems approach to management guided by its worldwide EHS&S requirements; by using ISO 14001 to systematically manage environmental aspects and ISO 45001 to appropriately address hazards that pose a risk to employees. The EHS&S review process is designed to ensure that the Company's facilities have adequate EHS&S programs in place that meet regulatory requirements and Baxter's EHS&S requirements, targets and objectives. Successful ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 audits confirm that the institutions' management system supports compliance with relevant specifications and corporate principles.

In addition, Baxter has committed itself to the highest ethical standards in a variety of ways.

Opinions

• Bioethics Position Statement
• California Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986: Proposition 65 
• California Transparency in Supply Chain Act
• Climate Change and Energy Position Statement
• Conflict Minerals Policy & Position Statement
• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Reporting
• E-Commerce-Collaboration (cooperation on e-Commerce)
• Medical Materials Use Position Statement
• Pandemic Planning Statement
• Pharmacovigilance Privacy Statement
• REACH EG 1907/2006 (regulations for compliance with the EU Regulation REACH)
• Use of Products in Capital Punishment
•  WEEE 2012/19/EU Directive (WEEE Directive 2012/19/EU)

We comply with applicable local laws. In cases where international human rights are restricted by local laws, we strive to promote the principles behind international standards without conflicting with local laws. If local laws go beyond international standards, we will follow them.

As a company in the pharmaceutical industry, we have the opportunity to strengthen the protection of human rights in a variety of ways. However, we are also aware of the possible human rights risks that can be associated with our business activities. We strive to analyze and document our risks and their specific connection to our company step by step and regularly through structured risk assessments in our own business activities, the supply chain and in relation to our products and services. The results of this risk analysis, which is carried out at least once a year (but also on an ad hoc basis), are incorporated into relevant business processes, into our supplier management system.

We also expect our suppliers and other business partners to commit to complying with the principles set out herein and to implement appropriate processes to respect human rights. This includes providing information on how to comply with these principles when requested.

To do business with Baxter, suppliers and other business partners must commit to adhering to our Baxter Supplier Standards.

The Global Suppliers Standards Manual

https://www.baxter.de/de/partner-und-lieferanten/baxter-lieferanten describes the global standards that all Baxter suppliers must adhere to. These standards define guidelines and set common expectations in terms of ethical behavior, quality, and competitiveness. This includes Baxter's Supplier Ethics and Compliance Principles which encourage suppliers to achieve sustainability, energy reduction, compliance with employment standards, and more.

Through the supplier standards and requirements, Baxter is committed to upholding labor, ethical, environmental, health and safety standards throughout its supply chain. Baxter expects its suppliers to commit to respecting human rights as set forth in its Human Rights Policy. Where risks exist in this context, we implement appropriate preventive measures.

We are already observing the following principles, which we will supplement and expand if necessary:

• Supplier selection and evaluation: We take human rights and selected/specific environmental criteria into account when selecting and evaluating our suppliers.
• Measures for the health and safety of our own employees: The health and safety of our employees is our top priority. By implementing uniformly high standards at all our sites, we are continuously working to create a safe and health-promoting working environment. Our employees take part in regular training courses to promote safety-conscious behavior.
• Product safety measures: As part of our various safety and quality programs, we continuously review the safety of our products regarding health and environmental risks.

If a violation or threatened violation of a human rights and/or environmental obligation is identified or suspected within Baxter or at a direct supplier, Baxter will promptly conduct an investigation and take appropriate remedial action or require Supplier to promptly take appropriate remedial action to end the violation or minimize the extent of the violation. The remedy depends on the nature of the infringement found and is decided on a case-by-case basis. The effectiveness of the remedial measures will be reviewed annually and on an ad hoc basis. Possible compliance violations or possible violations of a human rights or environmental obligation under the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (Lieferkettensorgfaltspflichtengesetz) can be reported via our Ethics and Compliance Helpline . This helpline was set up as an independent channel for complaints. It provides an opportunity for employees, suppliers and anyone else to contact Baxter 24 hours a day, seven days a week in different languages and report violations of laws, compliance requirements and company policies by Baxter, its employees or suppliers. The report can be made online or by telephone.

A separate set of rules of procedure has been drawn up for the reporting of possible violations of the Supply Chain Due Diligence Act. This can be viewed under https://www.baxter.de/de/our-story/our-governance/ethics-and-compliance.

In addition, it is possible to submit questions, suggestions and complaints to the e-mail address [email protected].

_{* Gambro Dialysatoren GmbH, a Baxter Group company, will be subject to the Supply Chain Due Diligence Act from January 1, 2024.}

_{The responsibility for compliance with the human rights obligation set out here lies with the Managing Director of Gambro Dialysatoren GmbH. A local team is responsible for the operational implementation of our human rights strategy. This team led by the Human Rights Commissioner has knowledge in the areas of environmental protection, respect for human rights, labor law, supply chain management and compliance.}

_{Gambro continuously documents the steps to implement the due diligence obligations in accordance with the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (Lieferkettensorgfaltspflichtengesetz). The documentation is kept for at least seven years.}

_{Gambro prepares the annual report with all legally binding information in accordance with § 10 para. 2 LkSG, publishes it no later than four months after the end of the financial year and keeps it available for retrieval on the website for at least seven years.}