Skip to content

Code of Ethics

Behaving ethically, both through the actions of our stakeholders and in their company’s decisions, is a must for the International Assistance Group. Our continued success depends on earning and keeping the trust worldwide, and on preserving our reputation in the eyes of those we deal with – including customers, employees, business partners and the broader community.

This document, which is approved by and has the full support of the International Assistance Group’s Supervisory Board, brings together a number of the Group’s policy statements and principles, stating the commitments we make to our stakeholders to do business in an ethical way. It is not intended to be a complete list of policies and rules.

It is truly about how we do business. For the International Assistance Group, ethics are our own values and principles, and how we put those values into practise – acting with integrity, communicating with honesty, treating customers fairly and delivering what we promise.

With our reputations to protect – as individuals and as a Group – every International Assistance Group’s stakeholder has a responsibility to behave ethically and to raise concerns through the appropriate channels if they become aware that these policies and principles are not being followed.

WHO IS CONCERNED?

This Code of Ethics applies to all the employees of International Assistance Group Head of Office, its General Manager and its governance bodies, the Supervisory Board and Shareholders.

We encourage our members which include our Core Partners, Assistance Partners, Accredited Service Providers and Correspondents (herein covered by the term “Partners” ) and our suppliers, as well as every person conducting activities on behalf of International Assistance Group to familiarize themselves with this code of ethics and to ensure that their own organizational policies and procedures include the key principles. Partners who are not able to adhere to any aspects of this code should make the IAG head office of any shortcomings and detail how they plan to overcome these and are working towards policies that align with this requirement.

HOW TO USE CODE OD ETHICS?

Taking ethical decisions sometimes seems difficult, because it involves much more than simply following a set of rules. The Code of Ethics is a reference tool that allows everyone to act with integrity by questioning situations encountered in their activity. In addition to the Code, the International Assistance Group has implemented a set of policies and procedures that we must respect. To make the right decision, the stakeholders of the International Assistance Group are encouraged to ask questions whenever necessary, in order to act the right way, at the right time and for the right reasons.

In certain situations, the guidance given may in this Code may differ from the laws or customs localities of a country. If local law or customs impose more restrictive standards than those defined in the Code, the law or local customs should prevail. If, on the other hand, the Code provides for a more restrictive provision, this Code will prevail.

1. RELATIONSHIP WITH CLIENTS

  • All services are always offered in accordance with national and international standards. The International Assistance Group’s Partners will not deliberately provide incomplete information and misleading descriptions of services offered.
  • The International Assistance Group will avoid the use of false, exaggerated or incomplete information given to advertising ventures and other forms of media.
  • To ensure full customer satisfaction, the International Assistance Group will ensure a high standard of services in giving accreditation to its Partners.
  • The International Assistance Group will avoid practices designed to increase sales by any marketing initiatives illegal and will keep secret all information The International Assistance Group is committed to fair and responsible business and prohibits all forms of bribery, or corruption and any business conduct that could create the appearance of improper influence.
  • Employees are expected to avoid any conduct that could have the appearance of improper influence and must, therefore:
    • Ensure that all gifts, entertainment and other advantages, either given or received, in connection with business activities are appropriate to the circumstances, and moderate in terms of value, frequency and quantity
    • Never give or receive gifts, entertainment or other advantages that
      • are cash payments or cash equivalents;
      • are intended to create the appearance of obtaining or retaining an improper business or personal benefit or undue government action;
      • could cause a conflict of interest for either party.

2. RELATIONSHIP WITH STAKEHOLDERS

  • When conducting its activity the International Assistance Group acts in the sole interest of the Group, refraining from taking advantage of any benefit or personal interest either directly or indirectly for its own account or for others.
  • The name or image of the International Assistance Group may not be used or committed for personal interests.
  • The International Assistance Group respects the individual commitment of its stakeholders in political or public activities. Nevertheless, any such commitments may not affect the activities or image of the International Assistance Group and may not in any way affect the position of the International Assistance Group in public.

3. RELATIONSHIP WITH EMPLOYEES & RESPECT FOR INDIVIDUALS

  • As an international player that respects all cultures, the International Assistance Group draws on the diversity of its workforce and the very broad range of talents available. In this context, all our employees acknowledge that differences between employees, business partners, suppliers and customers are considerable advantages that strengthen the Group’s competitiveness and efficiency.
  • True open-mindedness and the absence of prejudice concerning other people’s views or attitudes are vital prerequisites for performing our work effectively.
  • All the International Assistance Group Partners strive to provide a stimulating and creative working atmosphere and to establish relations based on trust with their workforce, their customers, their suppliers, their authorities and everyone with whom International Assistance Group’s Partners come into contact in the course of their activities.
  • All forms of discrimination for whatever cause or reason are therefore banned as is all behaviour that may compromise another person’s dignity.
  • The International Assistance Group undertakes to:
    • prohibit any conduct that would cause an attack on the dignity of a person;
    • not tolerate any form of harassment or discrimination based on:
      • gender;
      • gender identity;
      • age;
      • country of origin;
      • religion ;
      • sexual orientation;
      • physical appearance ;
      • health ;
      • disability ;
      • union activities;
      • political opinions;
      • nationality ;
      • family situation;
  • promote equal opportunities for each employee or candidate for a job as part of recruitment, access to training, remuneration, social protection, internal mobility and career development. Only the skills, experience and personal skills must be taken into consideration;
  • promote diversity, because we believe that the diversity of our employees and of our external Partners is a strength and one of the key elements of our success.
  • The International Assistance Group expects its stakeholders that they adhere to the fundamental principles of the International Labor Organization (ILO), especially those relating to the work of children, forced labour, working time, remuneration, freedom of association and non-discrimination.
  • The International Assistance Group’s stakeholders ensure equal opportunities for all with respect to recruitment, training, remuneration, appointment and professional development on the basis of personal skills and aptitudes. The International Assistance Group’s stakeholders’ management and their workforce are aware of the role and personal responsibility in preventing risks of accidents and health impairments.

4. RESPONSIBILITY TO THE ENVIRONMENT

  • The International Assistance Group’s stakeholders seek to save natural resources and reduce the impacts of emissions, effluents and waste in all their activities in order to preserve the natural environment.
  • The International Assistance Group aims to promote the applications of rules on environmental protection by its suppliers, subcontractors and considers compliance with these rules as a criterion by which they are to be chosen.

5. RELATIONSHIP WITH COMPETITORS

  • The aim of the International Assistance Group is to improve its position on the markets worldwide by relying on its Partners.
  • The International Assistance Group treats all competitors in a fair and professional manner and does not engage in any practice or take any action against the competitor in an un-businesslike manner.
  • The International Assistance Group refrains from criticizing competitors on their business practices.

6. LINKS WITH LOCAL AUTHORITIES AND COMMUNITIES

  • The International Assistance Group respects the cultural and legal environment of the countries in which it operates by objecting to corruption, by complying with the rules of free competition, by adhering to the principles of the Universal
  • Declaration of Human Rights, by supporting the principles of the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the guidelines issued by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), by promoting various international initiatives forging links between the business sector and society.
  • The International Assistance Group prohibits its employees from engaging in any influence peddling, whatever the form or reason, and requests that the same vigilance is applied by its stakeholders.
  • All employees must conduct business in accordance with the anti-corruption regulations applicable in the countries in which the International Assistance Group is present.
  • Gifts, benefits or public relations activities offered to public officials are strictly prohibited.
  • In order to effectively combat influence peddling, International Assistance Group and its Partners must:
    • ensure that any payment or expense involving a public official is properly authorized, accounted for and documented;
    • keep the list of meetings organized with public decision-makers up to date.
  • In addition, it is prohibited to :
    • offer, promise or grant financial or other advantages to a public official with the aim of inducing him/her to improperly perform an action or omission;
    • favour the close relative of a public official in the context of a call for tenders or recruitment procedure;
    • hand over cash to a public official.
  •  

7. FAIR DEALING

  • Unfair commercial practices are not compatible with the values and image of the International Assistance Group.
  • Information of any nature concerning customers, suppliers or competitors may be obtained by legal means only.
  • The third party, intellectual property rights must be respected under all circumstances.
  • All acts designed to defame a competitor, discredit his or her products or harm his or her image must be ruled out.
  • The International Assistance Group’s stakeholders must act in a loyal and honest manner in their dealings with their customers, suppliers, partners and competitors.
  • The fair choice of the supplier must be the result of a fair approach to the companies questioned. This choice must be based on objective elements which include, among other commercial and contractual criteria, criteria of social and environmental responsibility.
  • For this choice to be fair, it is necessary that all participating companies receive the same treatment from the International Assistance Group, and that the choice is based on objective factors. This implies that the International Assistance Group observes a responsible and loyal attitude towards the companies questioned during all phases of the call for tenders. Therefore, considerations purely motivated by individual interests in the choice of the chosen company are to be avoided.
  • In this perspective, the following rules should apply to the International Assistance Group and its Partners:
    • carefully prepare the list of companies to be interviewed to ensure a comparable level of knowledge and resources;
    • report any potential risk of conflict of interest (for example, existence of a relative working in one of the companies interviewed as part of a call for tenders, etc.);
    • ensure that all companies surveyed have the same response times and to do this, distribute the tender dossier once they have all been identified without adding new companies when the tender has been launched;
    • ensure that all the companies surveyed have at the same time the same information, data and initial and modified documentary elements (conditions of the consultation, technical and functional specifications, contractual commitments, etc.);
    • in the event of a defence, ensure that all the companies questioned are invited to one or more defense sessions, the duration of which must be identical for each company questioned;
    • at the end of the first phase of selection or short-list, communicate to the companies which were not selected the reasons which motivated the decision not to retain them;
    • ensure and respect the confidentiality of discussions and decisions to which International Assistance Group has access during the entire phase of the call for tenders.
  •  In addition, during calls for tenders, it is prohibited to:
    • provide information only to some of the companies surveyed;
    • provide any of the companies surveyed with any indication or information on the content or level of response of other companies participating in the call for tenders;
    • change the selection criteria, and/or the weighting of the scoring grid, after the date of receipt of responses to the call for tenders.
    • being invited by one or more of the companies interviewed and/or benefiting from any other gift and/or advantage from them during the duration of the call for tenders or the contractual negotiation.
  • The International Assistance Group undertakes to apply the following rules in terms of responsible relations with its suppliers and expects the same commitment from its Partners:
    • behave fairly with suppliers to establish a bond of trust, whether the relationship is one-off or long-term;
    • prevent unsuccessful bidding companies following a call for tenders by justifying objective criteria;
    • compare the offers proposed by the suppliers interviewed, on all the selection criteria, including the full cost;
  • observe sufficient notice in the event of a change of supplier, in order to allow a viable and acceptable disengagement for the supplier to exit;
  • communicate any information necessary for the validation of an invoice and thus contribute to the respect of payment deadlines imposed by the regulations.
  •  

8. CONFIDENTIALITY AND PROTECTION OF INFORMATION

  • The International Assistance Group respects the value and ownership of information it receives and never discloses them without appropriate authority.
  • The International Assistance Group’s Partners are always prudent in the use and protection of information acquired in the course of their activities.
  •