Vodafone’s commitment to respecting human rights is central to how we do business.
On International Human Rights Day, we celebrate how connectivity is a force for good. It enables access to education, healthcare and financial services. It boosts democratic participation. And it creates opportunities that help people thrive.
But we recognise this also comes with responsibility. We aim to ensure that our operations never contribute, directly or indirectly, to human rights abuses.
Protecting and promoting human rights is a core pillar of our Purpose. By doing the right thing, we maintain trust with our customers, partners and civil society.
From ethical purchasing practices, to privacy, security and law enforcement assistance, we work to uphold the highest standards of transparency and integrity in everything we do.
Joakim Reiter, Chief External & Corporate Affairs Officer said: “At Vodafone, we recognise that connectivity transforms lives by enabling and promoting human rights, but with this power comes responsibility. This International Human Rights Day, we reaffirm our commitment to transparency, integrity, and respect for the people and communities we serve.”
Why human rights matter to us
Human rights are the basic freedoms and protections that belong to every person, such as the right to privacy, freedom of expression, and safe working conditions. These rights are essential to ensure dignity, equality, and fairness in society.
While technology empowers human rights, it can also pose risks if misused. It’s critical that we maintain trust in a digital society. That’s why we take a proactive approach to identify, prevent, and mitigate potential impacts across our operations and supply chain.
Vodafone’s approach to human rights
As well as the positive opportunities we create, we are also conscious of the human rights risks associated with our operations, and our responsibility to manage and mitigate these risks.
Globally, our most significant human rights risks relate to our customers’ right to privacy, freedom of expression and assembly. This extends to the rights of minority and vulnerable groups and decent working conditions across our supply chain.
To read more about how we approach our human rights risks you can visit our human rights page here.
We are committed to continuously improving our Human Rights Programme across our footprint.
This year we have enhanced our engagement with rightsholders, in line with the UNGPs, including by establishing a pan-European youth panel.
This gives young people a platform to share their perspectives on our products and services, as well as their concerns around online safety and emerging technologies. Through this dialogue we ensure that youth voices help shape our approach to digital responsibility.
Our approach is guided by the United Nations Guiding Principles (UNGPs) on Business and Human Rights, and embedded in our Human Rights Policy, governance processes, and day-to-day decisions.
Our human rights programme is overseen by our Chief External & Corporate Affairs Officer. We conduct human rights due diligence at key stages such as market entry, new partnerships, and product development.
We also provide clear channels for accountability. Our ‘Speak Up’ mechanism allows employees, suppliers, and anyone else to report concerns about unethical behaviour or something that concerns them.
Beyond compliance, we actively participate in global initiatives such as the UN Global Compact, UN B-Tech Project, the Joint Alliance for CSR (JAC) and GSMA Alliance to combat Child Sexual Abuse Material. By working collectively with others, we seek to raise standards across the digital sector.
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