National Bank today announced its adherence to the United Nations' (UN) LGBTI Global Standards of Conduct for Business Tackling Discrimination against Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans, & Intersex People (LGBTI).
By taking this step, the Bank is strengthening its commitment to promote diversity, respect and equality, both in the workplace and in the communities.
The UN's LGBTI Global Standards of Conduct for Business are to:
1. Respect human rights
2. Eliminate discrimination
3. Support LGBTI staff
4. Prevent related violations to human rights
5. Act in the public sphere
Quotes
"The workplace is one of the most important dimensions of inclusion. We're proud to offer our employees a healthy work environment where everyone can grow and reach their full potential. We do this through concrete initiatives, in particular, the IDEO Network, which has been operated for years by employees who are members of the community and their allies. Furthermore, National Bank has been ranked among Canada’s Best Diversity Employers for the past 9 years. For us, promoting diversity also means collaborating with external partners to continue making a difference in society. By adhering today to this global initiative, we're reaffirming our desire to make a positive impact in the communities," explained Martin Gagnon, Executive Vice-President – Wealth Management, Co-President and Co-Chief Executive Officer of National Bank Financial, and Chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee at National Bank.
"We are grateful to National Bank for joining 260 of the world’s largest companies in expressing support for the UN Global LGBTI Standards for Business. More than an ethical necessity, diversity and inclusion is a driver of innovation and value creation for companies and National Bank’s support is sending a powerful signal to other companies in Canada and to the banking industry globally," stated Fabrice Houdart, United Nations Human Rights Officer and co-author of the Standards.
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