Human rights

Governance

We are firmly committed to uncompromising quality, integrity, compliance, and ethics in everything we do. As we work to transform patients’ lives through science, we operate with effective governance and the highest ethical standards to deliver our mission.

BMS’ Human Rights Global Position Statement (HRGPS) was jointly developed by the ESG and Ethics & Compliance teams, with core support from key functional areas. As part of BMS’ ESG Governance and Operating model, the HRGPS was reviewed and approved by the BMS ESG Council, a cross-functional senior management committee led by the Vice President of Purpose and ESG and includes leaders from Ethics & Compliance, Legal, Supplier Diversity & Procurement, Environment Health Safety & Sustainability, and Global Product Development & Supply.

Human Rights-related updates, including risks and opportunities, are included within the ESG Council updates to the CEO, the CEO’s Leadership Team (the “BMSLT”) the Board Committee on Directors & Corporate Governance, which occur regularly throughout the year, and where required by local regulations, to the local managing directors.

Our human rights commitments are global and apply to our operations and across our value chain. We systematically identify and review policies and procedures across our company, focusing on our human rights and environmental priority areas, and update them to ensure alignment with our human rights commitments.

Human rights priorities

We have identified the following priorities for BMS to have the greatest positive impact on human rights. These were identified based on our ongoing human rights due diligence and internal and external stakeholder engagement:

• Right to Health
• Product Quality & Patient Safety
• Clinical Trials
• Environment
• Inclusion & Diversity
• Labor Rights

Human rights due diligence

BMS supports fully the principles established under the UDHR, which addresses: the equality of all human beings; the right to life, liberty and security; personal freedom; and economic, social, and cultural freedoms.  We strive to support and respect the protection of human rights and to avoid complicity in human rights abuses across the value chain; to embrace a diverse and inclusive workforce; and to promote the health, safety and equitable and respectful treatment of our employees, without discrimination or harassment.

Training & awareness

Regular training and awareness around BMS policies and procedures is an essential element to ensure that our employees, contractors, and suppliers are upholding the values and principles that we set forth in our policies and procedures.

We require all our employees to know and to adhere to our Principles of Integrity. We also expect our contractors, consultants, vendors, and any individuals who do business with BMS to comply with the Standards of Business Conduct and Ethics for Third Parties.

In addition, our employees have voluntary training opportunities to ensure ongoing awareness and compliance with our policies and standards.

Reporting

BMS offers an Integrity Line for employees and Third Parties to report concerns related to potential violations of our policies, principles, and standards, as well as other ethical and legal violations. The Integrity Line is available 24-hour/7-days a week via telephone- or web. The confidential reporting system is available in multiple languages.

BMS has a strict policy against retaliation. Reports can be made confidentially and anonymously, where local law permits, and without fear of reprisal.

The BMS Integrity Line can be found at: bms.integrity.ethicspoint.com. BMS is committed to reviewing, and where appropriate investigating, all reports.

Anti-trafficking and modern slavery

We publish an annual statement which outlines the steps we are taking to address and prevent modern slavery and human trafficking within our own operations and across our value chain. The 2023 global statement can be viewed here and the Australia statement can be found here.

Download our full global position statement on human rights

ⁱ United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/Documents/Publications/GuidingPrinciplesBusinessHR_EN.pdf

ⁱⁱ The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/finance-and-investment/oecd-guidelines-for-multinational-enterprises-on-responsible-business-conduct_81f92357-en

ⁱⁱⁱ Universal Declaration of Human Rights. https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights

^iv International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/international-covenant-civil-and-political-rights

^v International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/international-covenant-economic-social-and-cultural-rights

^vi The International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Core Labour Rights Conventions. https://www.ilo.org/global/standards/introduction-to-international-labour-standards/conventions-and-recommendations/lang--en/index.htm#text=The%20ILO%20Governing%20Body%20had,of%20forced%20or%20compulsory%20labour

^vii International Labour Organization (ILO) Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. https://www.ilo.org/declaration/lang--en/index.htm

^viii BMS Principles of Integrity. https://www.bms.com/assets/bms/us/en-us/pdf/principles-of-integrity.pdf

^ix UN Global Compact. https://www.unglobalcompact.org/