Rio Tinto partners with DIHR on Human Rights

Monday, 11 April 2011 12:00 AM

Rio Tinto and the Danish Institute for Human Rights (DIHR) have signed a three-year agreement to collaborate on developing and promoting human rights tools for international businesses and on further enhancing Rio Tinto's global human rights policies.

Under the agreement, Rio Tinto will provide support for the expansion of the DIHR's Human Rights and Business Country Portal, a freely available website that helps businesses identify, assess and address human rights risks in specific countries. The DIHR will also develop bespoke country risk assessments and advice to Rio Tinto on countries in which it operates or plans to operate.

Tom Albanese, Rio Tinto's chief executive, said, "Rio Tinto's commitment to human rights has always been an integral part of our code of conduct, The Way We Work. While we have done much good work in this area, we need to constantly keep our policy and practices under review to ensure that we continue to improve our performance. Working with experts in the field is an essential part of this and our partnership with the DIHR will provide us with further insight into specific human rights challenges."

"DIHR aims to promote human rights around the world by engaging with all actors who interact with human rights," said DIHR Director Jonas Christoffersen. "Our partnership with Rio Tinto will allow us to engage with important human rights challenges. This is an opportunity for us to promote human rights in the many countries where Rio Tinto operates as well as in the global mining and metals industry," he added.

About Rio Tinto

Rio Tinto is a leading international mining group headquartered in the UK, combining Rio Tinto plc, a London and NYSE listed company, and Rio Tinto Limited, which is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange.

Rio Tinto's business is finding, mining, and processing mineral resources. Major products are aluminium, copper, diamonds, energy (coal and uranium), gold, industrial minerals (borax, titanium dioxide, salt, talc) and iron ore. Activities span the world but are strongly represented in Australia and North America with significant businesses in South America, Asia, Europe and southern Africa.

About the Danish Institute for Human Rights

The Danish Institute for Human Rights (DIHR) is an independent National Human Rights Institution established by an act of Danish Parliament in 1987 and modeled in accordance with the UN Paris Principles.

The chief objective of DIHR is to promote and develop knowledge about human rights on a national, regional and international basis, predicated on the belief that human rights are universal, mutually interdependent and interrelated. Since 1999, DIHR has become a leader in addressing the impacts of the private-sector, and has conducted projects with transnational corporations worldwide.

Contacts:

Media Relations, EMEA / Americas
Illtud Harri
Office: +44 (0) 20 7781 1152
Mobile: +44 (0) 7920 503 600

Tony Shaffer
Office: +44 (0) 20 7781 1138
Mobile: +44 (0) 7920 041 003

Christina Mills
Office: +44 (0) 20 7781 1154
Mobile: +44 (0) 7825 275 605

DIHR Media Relations
Martin Lassen Vernal
Office: +45 3269 8927
Mobile: +45 4057 8788
Email: mlv@humanrights.dk

Further information:

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