Created in 2001.

This Committee addresses external and internal social issues, among which human rights, relations with neighboring communities and indigenous people, social risks management, gender and cultural diversity, labor practices and the workplace are key topics.

The objective of the Committee is to ensure that the industry operates in a framework of concern and respect for the needs of its stakeholders, while satisfying society´s expectations for social performance, through the development of a responsible corporate culture. With this purpose, it seeks to enhance industry understanding of these issues and challenges, and to encourage stakeholders' dialogue in order to share knowledge and experiences, strategies and approaches to address those issues. It also provides guidance on best practices, training and technical support for the implementation of social management policies, processes and systems.

• “The Social Responsibility Committee is a space for both the exchange of practices and the search for solutions to support the sustainability of operations of member companies in the region. ARPEL has been a pioneer in the industry setting up this Committee in 2001. Since then, it has been addressing issues related to human rights, labor practices, relations with communities and indigenous peoples, seeking to strengthen relations of cooperation, trust and mutual learning among companies and stakeholders.  ”

  Sandra Martínez, Chairperson, ARPEL Social Responsibility Committee