Governance

Lastly, the Labor and Human Rights Council of DX Division is a cross-functional collaborative effort, consisting of the People Team, Partner Collaboration Center, Vendor Management Improvement Task Force, Global Technology Research, Global EHS Office, Corporate Legal Office, Compliance Team, Investor Relations Team, and Corporate Sustainability Center. The Council discusses and coordinates global labor and human rights issues at our business sites and across our supply chains to address and mitigate potential human rights risks. Agenda items discussed at the Council, depending on the saliency and urgency, are escalated to the Sustainability Council and Sustainability Committee. Within the People Team, an executive with company-wide responsibilities for HR, labor relations, and human rights activities at business sites outside of South Korea, also leads the promotion of human rights initiatives across the company. The executive’s performance evaluation and incentives are tied to the results of human rights due diligence conducted at business sites.

Each department participating in the Labor and Human Rights Council actively conducts human rights due diligence to identify, prevent, and mitigate human rights impacts caused or contributed by our business operations. The Corporate Sustainability Center manages the overall sustainability agenda of Samsung Electronics and handles human rights-related issues by collaborating closely with relevant organizational units such as the People Team, the Partner Collaboration Center, and Global Technology Research when necessary.

In 2013, we designated people in charge of the respect for human rights in the People Team to manage human rights risks on a day-to-day basis. In 2017, we established a dedicated office and hired external human rights experts to enhance our understanding of international human rights due diligence standards and strengthen stakeholder engagement. Moreover, organizations such as the Partner Collaboration Center, Vendor Management Improvement Task Force, and Global Technology Research as well as the team at subsidiaries handle the daily implementation of supply chain human rights policies. Their performance evaluations are directly linked to human rights performance such as supplier audits to enhance compliance, initiatives for improvement, and public disclosure.

• People Team

  The People Team establishes policies for human rights activities and DEI programs and monitors relevant procedures operated at our business sites. It develops employee training programs to ensure respect for human rights in our everyday business activities, while also taking the lead in the implementation of due diligence, including third-party audits by RBA-approved auditors and the Human Rights Impact Assessment, to prevent, mitigate, and remedy our human rights impacts.

• Global EHS Office

  The Global EHS Office establishes standards related to occupational health and safety and environment and supports their implementation in our business sites and supply chains.

• Partner Collaboration Center

  The Partner Collaboration Center supervises the establishment of human rights standards and implementation of due diligence by our suppliers and offers training and capacity-building programs to ensure their responsible purchasing practices including responsible minerals sourcing. The Center also regularly monitors our suppliers’ compliance status through a dedicated organizational unit.

• Corporate Legal Office

  The Corporate Legal Office shares the latest global legislation trends and requirements concerning respect for human rights and due diligence in business operations.

• Vendor Management
  Improvement
  Task Force

  The Vendor Improvement Task Force monitors our business partners stationed at our production sites on their implementation of our human rights commitments and audit programs.

• Investor Relations Team

  The IR Team identifies and conveys our investors’ expectations of our human rights commitments to the organizational units in charge.

• Global Technology Research

  Global Technology Research monitors our suppliers’ compliance with the Supplier Code of Conduct and our human rights commitments.

• Corporate Sustainability Center

  The Corporate Sustainability Center communicates our stakeholders’ expectations of our sustainability efforts, including human rights activities, to the organizational units in charge. The Center ensures close coordination with our respective businesses through the Sustainability Council and reviews and submits agenda items to the Sustainability Committee under the Board of Directors.