On Friday, 31 May 2019, the Slovenian Forum on responsible business operations and human rights in economy, organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in co-operation with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia and the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology, hosted ten Slovenian companies which signed the Commitment to respect human rights in business operations. Among the signees was also the BTC Company with Julij Božič, Executive Director for Innovation and Digitalisation, signing the document on behalf of the Company.

Signing the Commitment to respect human rights in business operations, the BTC Company committed itself to respecting human rights in the entire business process and to avoiding and preventing potential negative impacts on human rights.

The Commitment is based on the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1948, and on other relevant international instruments in the field of human rights, as well as on international documents in the field of protecting and encouraging the respect of human rights within economic activities. Upon signing the Commitment to respect human rights in business operations, companies committed to implementing the respect of human rights into their business policies, appointing the human rights ombudsman, performing a thorough revision in order to determine key risk factors, regularly monitoring and reporting on the matter of respecting human rights, educating and raising awareness of employees and other stakeholders about human rights and related business activities, encouraging the respect of human rights also in business partners, as well as co-operating in the search for mutual solutions and with key stakeholders, pursuing the progress in respecting human rights in business operations.

At the opening of the Forum, which was organised for the representatives of companies that nurture the culture of respecting human rights in business operations, the guests were addressed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, dr. Miro Cerar, the State Secretary with the Ministry of Economy Development and Technology, mag. Aleš Cantarutti, the General Director of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia, mag. Sonja Šmuc, and the ombudsman Peter Svetina. Guests from the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights from Switzerland, France and Slovenia also participated at the Forum. The lecturers explained why respect of human rights was important for companies, presenting the Slovenian and Swiss experience in this field, the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, the French Mandatory Corporate Human Rights Due Diligence Act, efforts to prevent discrimination at work, and the Guidelines on Corporate Human Rights Due Diligence.

Along with the BTC Company, the Commitment to respect human rights in business operations was signed by nine other companies: Krka, d. d., Lek, d. d., Luka Koper, d. d., Plinovodi, d. o. o., Pošta Slovenije, d. o. o., Slovenski državni holding, d. d., Slovenske železnice, d. o. o., Vzajemna d. v. z., and Zavarovalnica Triglav, d. d.