Dinant extends commitment to Voluntary Principles on Security & Human Rights
Communities Provide Positive Feedback on Company’s Security Modernization Program
As part of its expanded social engagement program in Honduras, Dinant’s professional liaison staff met again last week with members of the Panama community in the Aguán to discuss the company’s implementation of the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights – an internationally accepted benchmark that governs how we vet, recruit and train our security men and women, and how they engage with communities – and to listen to local people’s feedback on the company’s ongoing efforts to modernize its security. The meeting with the Panama community – at which local people overwhelmingly expressed their support for Dinant’s Voluntary Principles implementation program – took place a few days before Dinant’s Executive President, Miguel Mauricio Facusse, attended the 2016 Plenary Meeting of the Voluntary Principles Initiative in Bogotá, Colombia, the annual global gathering of business, governments and NGOs committed to enhancing the safety and security of companies’ operations. Mr. Facusse said, “I was honored to be invited to attend the important meeting in Bogotá last week, which I attribute to my colleagues’ success at implementing fully the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights. From the feedback I received in Bogotá and, more importantly, from the conversations we have on a daily basis with local people through our social engagement programs, our community liaison staff, and our regional Grievance Mechanisms, I am confident that Dinant’s commitment to the Voluntary Principles is bringing real benefits to local communities.” As part of its commitment to the Voluntary Principles, Dinant has unilaterally withdrawn all firearms from security guards at all plantations, extraction mills and manufacturing plants in the country. 100% of Dinant security staff and contractors have been trained in the Voluntary Principles, and this training is continuous and ongoing. In 2016, Dinant expanded its VP Program to include all divisions in Honduras, including Sales & Distribution. Mr. Facusse continued, “Dinant was the first company in Honduras – and the first throughout the global agribusiness sector of which we are aware - to adopt the Voluntary Principles. Dinant is a pioneer in Honduras and the Central American region in how we secure our facilities, protect the environment, and interact with local people. However, we know there is more to do. Under the guidance of IFC and the World Bank, we shall continue to work hard to become even better neighbors to the local communities in which we operate.” Tegucigalpa, Honduras, April 27, 2016 Roger Pineda, roger.pineda@dinant.com, +(504) 2239-8800 About Corporación Dinant Dinant is a family-owned consumer products manufacturer founded in Honduras in 1960. Its products are sold across Central America and the Dominican Republic, and exported to global markets. Dinant employs 8,000 people, supports over 22,000 livelihoods, generates millions of US dollars in exports for the Honduran economy, and contributes significantly to all communities in which it operates. Dinant rigorously benchmarks its operations against stringent international standards regarding the economic, environmental and social impact of its African Palm oil business. All Dinant facilities in Honduras have achieved ISO 14000 and OHSAS 18001 status for high standards of environmental management and occupational health & safety.
