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Policies

Compliance with the highest standards

The Group adheres to the following international codes, rules and principles:

• Universal Declaration of Human Rights;
• International Labor Organization (ILO);
• U.N Global Compact in the areas of human rights, labor standards, the environment and anti-corruption;
• Directives issued by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (O.E.C.D) geared to multinational firms and particularly concerning good business practices, anti-corruption and illegal payments;
• the "ethical criteria" of the World Health Organization (WHO) with regard to drug promotion, as well as codes from the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Associations (I.F.P.M.A) and the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (E.F.P.I.A) concerning good commercial practices;
• Rules developed by professional associations (European, American and Japanese) concerning clinical trial transparency;
• the ILAR Guide (Institute for Laboratory Animal Research) and the UFAW Handbook (Universities Federation for Animal Welfare) on animal testing;
• WHO recommendations on drug donations.

Sanofi-aventis also complies with many external national codes, especially those related to good commercial practices.  

Group level policies

• Our Social Charter outlines the principles that form the common base underpinning human resources within the Group. It was distributed to all employees in about 20 languages.
• Ethical Charter for Purchasing defines the relationship between sanofi-aventis buyers and suppliers – the attitudes and conduct that buyers must adopt, rules concerning conflicts of interest and accepting gifts from suppliers, as well as information that must remain confidential.
• Sanofi-aventis charter on the humane care and use of laboratory animals, general principles with regard to the ethical use of human biospecimens, and Good Clinical Practices (G.C.P) provide the framework for our research and development activities:
  • the charter specifies the conditions for using laboratory animals and affirms Group principles that promote higher animal care standards;
  • the general principles define the conditions for the use of biospecimens as well as donors’ rights;
  • the G.C.P define the Group’s medical ethics rules concerning clinical trials (assessment of benefit/risk ratio, making sure patients are well informed and obtain informed consent, public access to clinical data). 
• In addition, the Group completed drafting its clinical trial transparency rules:
  • Our Code of Financial Ethics and a Data Protection Charter 
• Health, Safety and Environment policy (H.S.E) which is based on eight guidelines that govern actions with respect to Group employees, outside partners, natural resources and environmental protection.
  Moreover, our pharmaceutical chemistry sites adhere to the "chemical industry’s commitment to improve environmental protection", an obligation to carry out their operations while continuously improving safety, and protecting health and the environment by applying the principles of Responsible Care®.

In certain areas such as access to medicines, local economic development or increasing public awareness of diseases, sanofi-aventis organizes initiatives and programs, often in partnership with international and local organizations that are in accordance with our values.