Diversity Charter introduced in Croatia
In September, Croatia became the seventeenth EU country where companies can join the Diversity Charter. The project started at the beginning of the year, a public discussion was held in June, and Diversity Charter was adopted and presented to the public on 6th September 2017 at the Journalist House in Zagreb. The official signing of the Charter by company representatives is expected in October.
Diversity Charter is a voluntary initiative aimed at promoting diversity, anti-discrimination, inclusiveness and equal opportunities at workplace, which enables companies to publicly show their commitment to those objectives and assists them in developing and implementing successful diversity policies.
The project carrier in Croatia is the Croatian Business Council for Sustainable Development (HR PSOR) and the Charter has been developed together with Diversity Charters of Slovenia and Romania within the project I.D.E.A.S. (Innovation. Diversity. Economy. Awareness. Success.), co-funded by the European Union.
By signing the Charter, the organization declares that it will publicly support, protect and develop diversity in its organization and value chain, as well as create a stimulating working environment for all, regardless of their race, ethnicity, age, gender, religion, disability or sexual orientation.
The Charter is primarily intended for the business sector, but other organizations that wish to implement diversity and non-discrimination policies in their work environment are also encouraged to join, such as public and educational institutions, business associations, non-governmental organizations and others.
The Charter serves as a platform for co-operation and dialogue on diversity management, giving its signatories access to guides, training and other tools needed for development and successful implementation of efficient diversity policies, sources of best practices and other resources developed by the European Platform for Diversity Charters.
The Platform was set up by the European Commission in 2010 to support the development and exchange of good practice among Member States. Today, the platform brings together more than 7100 signatories from 16 EU countries that have adopted Charter principles at the national level, and more than 14 million employees have benefited from diversity policies implemented by the signatories of the Charter.
Sources:
Diversity Charters across the EU
Author: Marina Tomić (The Croatian Institute for CSR)
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