Wal-Mart Stores Inc. 2005 Ethical Sourcing Report

From the introduction to Wal-Mart's 2005 Ethical Sourcing Report:

"Consistent with Wal-Mart’s objective of continuous improvements in all of our activities, in 2005 we implemented several enhancements to our Ethical Standards program. Wal-Mart added several significant provisions to our Standards for Suppliers encompassing health and safety practices, freedom of association, and the rights of foreign contract workers. We increased the number of our auditors in order to ensure that audits in certain geographic regions are conducted in pairs. Furthermore, we modifi ed the classifi cation of violations to make certain that our suppliers address violations promptly. In total, these enhancements positioned Wal-Mart to identify and address issues in the factories of our suppliers in an effective manner, thus making a positive difference for the workers.

Wal-Mart implemented a key initiative in 2005 by engaging in discussions with nongovernmental organizations and interest groups regarding our Ethical Standards program; we have listened closely and learned a great deal from this interaction. We have had thoughtful and, at times, provocative conversations about how we could improve our monitoring program. This approach has been helpful to ensure that all interested parties share the common goal of improving the working conditions in the factories of our suppliers."

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