Performance
Business integrity
We are committed to maximum transparency, consistent with good governance and commercial confidentiality. Rio Tinto strives to conduct its business with integrity, honesty and fairness, building from a foundation of compliance with relevant local laws, regulations and international standards wherever we operate.
Training on our business integrity guidance is required for all managers. These guidelines cover bribery, anti-corruption and political involvement. We do not directly or indirectly participate in party politics or make payments to political parties or individual politicians.
Mining is a heavily regulated industry and we maintain continuous dialogue with many governments and public authorities at national, provincial and municipal levels. We speak out and make representations on matters affecting our business interests and those of our shareholders, employees and others involved in our activities.
In addition to internal policies and activities, Rio Tinto is active in promoting transparency and good corporate governance more widely. We were a member of the steering committee which developed and which continues to assist implementation of the Transparency International Business Principles for Countering Bribery (www.transparency.org). Through the International Council for Mining and Metals (www.icmm.org) we are also a company endorsing member of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) (www.eitransparency.org). Business units engage in the promotion and implementation of the EITI in those candidate countries in which the Group has operations. More details can be found at www.riotinto.com. Rio Tinto also endorses the World Economic Forum's Partnering Against Corruption Initiative (www.weforum.org).
There were no reported incidents of breaches of Rio Tinto's political involvement policies during 2008.
