Lek among the signatories to a declaration of Commitment to Business and Human Rights
- At the Slovenian forum on responsible business practices and respect for human rights in business, ten major Slovenian enterprises have signed a declaration of Commitment to Business and Human Rights.
- On behalf of Lek, the document was signed by Ksenija Butenko Černe, Head Legal Affairs and Members of the Board of Management of Lek d. d.. With this, Lek has further demonstrated its respect for human rights in its business activities.
- The main purpose of the forum, jointly organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Slovenian Chamber of Commerce and Ministry of Economic Development and Technology, is to promote the National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights.
At the Slovenian forum on responsible business practices and human rights in business, seven major Slovenian companies have signed a document pledging respect for human rights in business. The signatories, including Lek, have committed to respect human rights in their business activities and avoid and prevent any negative impact thereon. The global company Novartis, a part of which is Lek, is already a fully committed member in the field of human rights.
The forum was organised jointly by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Chamber of Commerce and the Ministry for Economic Development and Technology, with the main purpose to promote the National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights and implement the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights at the national level. The forum was intended for representatives of enterprises that foster a culture of respecting human rights, representing a specific advantage in their business operation. With examples of good practice, the international and domestic lecturers explained reasons why all enterprises should incorporate human rights into the foundation of their business and operation, in particular in business activities linked to international calls for tenders and arbitration. As highlighted at the event, Slovenia is the 22nd country in the world that has adopted the UN action plan with regard to respecting human rights.
The declaration of Commitment to Business and Human Rights that was signed at the event by selected major companies in Slovenia, is based on the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1948, and other relevant international documents pertaining to human rights in economic activities. It defines the incorporation of respecting human rights into the fundamental principles of an enterprise, appointing a human rights guardian within an enterprise, the implementation of a careful review in order to identify key risk factors for human rights violation, regular reporting in annual reports and encouraging a respect for human rights also with business partners. »At Novartis and accordingly also at Lek, responsible business conduct and respect for human rights are already enshrined in the company’s business foundation. This is also the basis on which we develop and establish the trust of our patients and customers and therefore we deliver it on a daily basis – by our internal guidelines and code of conduct, operating in accordance with the law and respecting integrity as the essence of our responsible business practice. By signing the Commitment to Business and Human Rights, we have further advanced our activities in this direction, while at the same time we are demonstrating maturity of our company in the business environment at all levels,« said Ksenija Butenko Černe, Head Legal Affairs and the member of the Board of management at Lek d. d., upon signing the document.
Novartis is the leading provider of medicines in Slovenia, where Lek, Novartis Pharma Services and Sandoz, operate. Together we are building and maintaining the reputation of a dynamic, ethical, and trusted pharmaceutical company. Lek develops, manufactures, and markets effective, safe, and high quality medicines and active pharmaceutical ingredients. With our knowledge, quality, and experience we have gained an important role in Novartis' organizational structure, especially in the Novartis Technical Operations, Global Drug Development, Novartis Business Services, and the generic division Sandoz. We are the leading Sandoz development center, and one of the key development sites for technologically complex projects. We invest a great deal in the development, education, and training of our employees. Novartis invested in Slovenia more than EUR 2 billion since 2003. More than half of this investment has been devoted to development, and the rest to modernize and expand our production capacities.
About Sandoz
Sandoz, a Novartis division, is a global leader in generic pharmaceuticals and biosimilars and a pioneer in the emerging field of prescription digital therapeutics. Our purpose is to pioneer access to healthcare by developing and commercializing novel, affordable approaches that address unmet medical need. Our broad portfolio of high-quality medicines, covering all major therapeutic areas and increasingly focused on value-adding differentiated medicines, accounted for 2018 sales of USD 9.9 billion. Sandoz is headquartered in Holzkirchen, in Germany’s Greater Munich area.
About Novartis
Novartis is reimagining medicine to improve and extend people’s lives. As a leading global medicines company, we use innovative science and digital technologies to create transformative treatments in areas of great medical need. In our quest to find new medicines, we consistently rank among the world’s top companies investing in research and development. Novartis products reach more than 750 million people globally and we are finding innovative ways to expand access to our latest treatments. About 105 thousand people of more than 140 nationalities work at Novartis around the world. Find out more at www.novartis.com.
This press release contains statements and conclusions based on projections of Lek’s future business operations. These estimates are derived from the best information currently available. In case these forecasts prove unreliable, the actual results could prove different from those projected.
For additional information contact:
Katarina Klemenc
Corporate Communications
Lek Pharmaceuticals d. d.
Phone: +386 1 580 22 43
Fax: +386 1 580 24 32
katarina.klemenc@sandoz.com
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Gregor Makuc
T: +386 1 580 22 43
info.lek@sandoz.com