HELSINKI/GENEVA – The International Labour Organization (ILO) and Stora Enso have entered into a unique public-private partnership to strengthen Stora Enso’s global policy and efforts to promote decent work and progressively eliminate child labour in its value chain in Pakistan.

The agreement has global and local components. The first one will focus on aligning policy and practice with international labour standards and increasing the company’s knowledge of child labour and other labour rights. The second component aims to promote decent work and combat child labour in the value chain of Bulleh Shah Packaging (BSP), Stora Enso’s joint venture in Pakistan.

“The ILO is very pleased to enter into this partnership which will make an important contribution to the realization of decent work and the elimination of child labour in Pakistan, and support Stora Enso in its efforts to demonstrate its respect for fundamental labour rights throughout its value chain,” says the Director of the Governance and Tripartism Department of the ILO, Moussa Oumarou.

“For Stora Enso, this partnership is an important step in enhancing human and labour rights in our operations and supply chains,” says Karl-Henrik Sundström, CEO at Stora Enso. “Cooperation with the ILO will help us increase our knowledge, build up local networks and work together with the government and other local stakeholders to bring about positive change.”

The global component of the partnership will start with the ILO providing Stora Enso technical support to strengthen its policies and due diligence processes on child labour and other labour rights. This partnership will also complement actions to address the findings of Stora Enso’s human rights assessments published earlier this year. The Pakistani component will start by participatory planning with Stora Enso, Bulleh Shah Packaging, ILO and other relevant stakeholders to design a project that will include research, training of Bulleh Shah Packaging employees, pilot community interventions and technical support to mainstreaming decent work in the value chain.

About Stora Enso

Stora Enso is a leading global provider of renewable solutions in packaging, biomaterials, wood and paper. Our aim is to replace non-renewable materials by innovating and developing new products and services based on wood and other renewable materials. We employ some 27 000 people in more than 35 countries, and our sales in 2014 were EUR 10.2 billion. Stora Enso shares are listed on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki (STEAV, STERV) and Stockholm (STE A, STE R). In addition, the shares are traded in the USA as ADRs (SEOAY) on the International OTCQX over-the-counter market.

Contacts:
Ulrika Lilja, EVP Global Communications Tel. +46 1046 71668
Terhi Koipijärvi, SVP Global Responsibility Tel. +358 50 598 9958
Noel Morrin, EVP Global Responsibility Tel. +46 7307 68898

About the ILO

The ILO is the UN agency devoted to advancing opportunities for women and men to obtain decent and productive work in conditions of freedom, equity, security and human dignity. Its main aims are to promote rights at work, encourage decent employment opportunities, enhance social protection and strengthen dialogue in handling work-related issues.

Contacts:
ILO Department of Communication and Public Information at +41 22 799 7912 or newsroom@ilo.org