Tegucigalpa, Honduras, June 08, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dinant was honored to be invited to speak to an international audience consisting of representatives of the US, UK and other Governments, as well as NGOs and multinational corporations, at the Annual Plenary Meeting of the Voluntary Principles Initiative held in London earlier this month.
Dinant is a full member of the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights, a highly-esteemed international initiative that promotes standards on how organizations vet, recruit, and train security men and women, and how they engage peacefully and transparently with local communities. Robust implementation of the Voluntary Principles has enabled Dinant to protect human rights while ensuring the security of its staff and manufacturing facilities during particularly testing times in Northern Honduras, where criminal gangs continue to invade and occupy private properties.
Speaking to an audience of over 100 delegates about Dinant’s experiences, Gabriela Carvajal, Corporate Social Responsibility Manager, said, “Adopting the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights was one of our best corporate decisions. For example, using the Risk Assessment process from the VPs, we have improved our environmental, social, and ecological performance across the board.”
Ms. Carvajal continued, “The VPs are part of our core business culture. And we demand our contractors and suppliers observe and respect the VPs and encourage them to emulate our full implementation. Our door is open… Dinant is eager to work with the NGO community to improve the human rights situation and strengthen civic order in Honduras.”
In 2022, Dinant trained 2,790 people, including 844 women, on the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights. Training has been extended beyond security guards to include sales staff as well as members of local communities and public authorities.
Dinant continues to innovate with a variety of health and community support programs to assist villages in under-served areas of Northern Honduras. The company provides a private room at its snacks factory in San Pedro Sula for new mothers to express and store milk for their newborn under the supervision of a trained nurse. The program is being expanded to other Dinant locations. Dinant has also initiated a mandatory training program on Prevention of Gender-based Violence for every employee in Honduras that will be expanded to all markets in 2023.
Dinant’s products are sold across Central America and the Dominican Republic. Its operations directly employ 7,600 people, who in turn support approximately 22,000 family members, as well as many thousands of contractors, vendors and suppliers.
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