Since the industrial community may not always see itself as receiving any direct benefit from its expenditure on social and environmental safeguards and management practices, much work remains to be done to educate, publicise and promote ‘sustainable behaviour’ among members of this sector. Hence, we are of the view that both from regulatory as well as educational perspective action is required to promote socially and environmentally-friendly best practices.

The Bank pays attention to the impact its business has on the social systems within which it operates. Indeed, this is an integral ‘pillar’ of our sustainability regime.

In this section of the Report, we will review the impact and performance across the key areas of;

• Labour Practices and Decent Work,
• Human Rights,
• Society, and
• Product Responsibility

The social and environmental policy of Commercial Bank is governed by ten principles articulated in the United Nations Global Compact initiative, to which the Bank a signatory. These principles are given below in order to provide further insight into the roots of our policy:

UN Global Compact: The Ten Principles

Human Rights
Principle 1	Businesses should support and respect the protection of internationally, proclaimed human rights.
Principle 2	Businesses should make sure that they are not complicit in human rights abuses.
Labour Standards
Principle 3	Businesses should uphold freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining.
Principle 4	Businesses should uphold the elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labour.
Principle 5	Businesses should uphold the effective abolition of child labour.
Principle 6	Businesses should uphold the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation.
Environmental Standards
Principle 7	Businesses should support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges.
Principle 8	Businesses should undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility.
Principle 9	Businesses should encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally-friendly technologies.
Ethical Standards
Principle 10	Businesses should work against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery.