Report according to the Transparency Act
NIVA has carried out an overall due diligence assessment to identify possible negative consequences that the company itself, its supply chain or other business partners may have caused, contributed to or contributed to in terms of human rights and decent working conditions.
NIVA carries out work in the fields of research, monitoring, investigation, problem solving and consultancy. The majority of our activities take place in Norway, where partners are covered by the same legislation. Some projects are carried out in partnership with internationally recognized institutions that are characterized by a high level of expertise and education. NIVA's supply chain mainly consists of large suppliers who are represented in Norway and who must therefore carry out and report on due diligence related to their activities. Nevertheless, NIVA shall have a consistent focus on due diligence in relation to our activities, and in particular in relation to cooperation with and deliveries from parties that are not directly covered by Norwegian legislation.
Based on the nature of the business, NIVA considers it unlikely that our activities can significantly cause or contribute to negative consequences related to human rights or decent working conditions. On the contrary, NIVA's activities promote positive social development in the big picture.
Through involvement in Norwegian government aid projects, NIVA contributes to sustainable social development, including capacity building, improvement work and cultural change - as well as potentially positive development of regulations and the exercise of authority. However, involvement in aid projects is an area where the risk of our work potentially contributing to violations of human rights or decent working conditions is somewhat higher than in connection with our other activities. Capacity building is often a sub-purpose of aid projects, and local labor can therefore be involved at several levels in the projects. In the case of field sampling or laboratory work, for example, HSE training in accordance with Norwegian standards is part of NIVA's contribution. This can be demanding if the local working environment legislation and working conditions do not comply with this or are not in accordance with internationally recognized requirements.
Risk assessments focusing on human rights and working conditions must always be carried out at project level when NIVA participates in aid projects. This is the institute's most important tool for identifying and implementing measures that can prevent negative impacts and contribute to improvements in the areas we work in.