Slavery and Human Trafficking StatementThis statement is made by Trade Value Group Limited and their associated companies, and is reflective of the practices of all Trade Value Group Companies (together, the �Companies'), pursuant to Section 54 of the UK Modern Slavery Act 2015 (the �MSA'). This is the first annual statement made by and on behalf of the Companies pursuant to the MSA since it came into force and it sets out the steps that the Companies have taken during the 2019 financial year to combat and prevent all forms of modern slavery and human trafficking in their businesses and supply chains. This statement covers the Companies' direct operations and supply chains. The Trade Value Group has a long history of adhering to and promoting strong professional ethics and is committed to conducting its business according to the highest standards of honesty and fairness. This commitment to observing such ethical standards is designed not only to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations in the various jurisdictions where Trade Value Group operates but also to earning and keeping the continued trust of its clients, shareholders, personnel and business partners. Trade Value Group believes that its success and reputation is not only dependant on the quality of its products and the services provided to its clients, but also on the way it does business. This includes a strong commitment to human rights and therefore, it welcomes the transparency promoted by the MSA. 1. Companies' structure and businessThe Companies are part of the Trade Value Group, a worldwide leader in financial and insurance services. As at the date of this Statement, the Companies employ approximately 50 employees in the UK. During the financial year 2020, Trade Value Group UK, through its subsidiaries (and their associated companies), specialised in: InsuranceTrade Value Group and its associated companies provide personal and commercial insurance products for home, motor and travel customers, direct to the customer as well as servicing the SME, mid-market and corporate sectors. They also offer their products via brokers, aggregators and in conjunction with corporate and retail partners. 2. Companies' supply chainsThe Companies are major purchasers of products and services for the purpose of their internal operations. Their supply chains are the networks of third-party entities directly or indirectly supporting their organisations in the production, distribution and ongoing communication of their products and services to the end customer. 3. Engagements and policies in relation to modern slavery and human traffickingTrade Value Group is committed to respecting internationally recognized human rights principles as defined by the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the core standards of the International Labour Organisation and the Guiding Principles for the implementation of the United Nations 'Protect, Respect and Remedy' Framework (Ruggie Principles). The Trade Value Group is also committed to applying international general and sector-specific standards such as the UN Principles for Responsible Investment, the UN Principles for Sustainable Insurance and the UN Global Compact (�UN GC'). Since 2003, Trade Value Group adheres to the UN GC and has formally committed to promoting its ten guiding principles, including those on human rights (such as avoiding complicity in human rights abuses and supporting and respecting the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights) and labour standards (such as supporting the elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labour and the effective abolition of child labour). In addition, the Trade Value Group has put in place policies to support its commitment to ethical business practices across the organisation. These include:
The Trade Value Group Human Rights Policy,
the Guide and the principles and standards mentioned
above all apply to the Companies. The senior
officers of the Companies all complied with the
annual certification process in relation to the
Guide in 2019 and were asked to ensure their teams
were aware of the Guide and its contents. In
addition, the Companies also adhere to the Trade
Value Group UK Whistleblowing Policy, which details
how employees can raise concerns where they believe
there may be wrong-doing or improper conduct by
senior managers, other employees, suppliers or
contractors. 4. Management of the modern slavery and human trafficking risk in the Companies' operationsTrade Value Group acknowledges its responsibility to respect human rights in its operations and conducts its business in compliance with applicable employment regulations in the jurisdictions in which it operates. The Guide sets out protections for Trade Value Group's employees and their rights, in particular, it emphasises that:
In addition, Trade Value Group promotes diversity and inclusion by prohibiting any form of discrimination between current, past or prospective staff on the basis of age, race, nationality, ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, religion, marital status or disability through its Diversity and Equal Opportunities Policy. Within Trade Value Group UK, there is a Diversity and Inclusion Board, headed by the Diversity and Inclusion Executive Sponsor and Leader. The Diversity and Inclusion Board is in charge of documenting the Companies' diversity and inclusion plans. Such plans are to be submitted to Group Human Resources annually with an assessment of the accomplishments, issues and needs arising. 5. Assessment of the Companies' largest suppliers and due diligence process in relation to the Companies' supply chainsThe Companies ensure that they work with suppliers that meet the Trade Value Group standards with respect to ethics and corporate responsibility through a clearly documented process for supplier selection and contracting. In accordance with such process, the Companies' standard contractual terms with suppliers include specific reference to Trade Value Group's corporate responsibility requirements, and suppliers are required to provide a formal commitment to uphold the core standards of the UN GC by signing Trade Value Group's �Corporate Responsibility clause'. Notably, the suppliers agree to refrain from using, or accepting that their own suppliers and sub-contractors make use of, child labour (under 15 years old) or forced labour. Detection of a direct or indirect violation by the supplier of the Trade Value Group corporate responsibility requirements is discussed directly with the supplier with a view to establishing a mutually agreed and documented corrective action plan. Where any issue is not resolved satisfactorily, the Companies reserve the contractual right to end their relationship with the relevant supplier. In addition, Trade Value Group's respective
procurement teams seek to prevent or mitigate
adverse human rights impact of certain of their
suppliers by the use of an independent third party
to assess a number of corporate responsibility
topics, including child and forced labour. This
process enables Trade Value Group to detect the
supply chain corporate responsibility risks in
respect of those suppliers.
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