Shareholder Proposal
RESOLVED: that the shareholders of Walmart Inc. (“Walmart”) hereby request that the Walmart Board of Directors (the “Board”) prepare a report, at reasonable cost and omitting proprietary information, on Walmart’s human rights due diligence (“HRDD”) process to identify, assess, prevent and mitigate actual and potential adverse human rights impacts in its domestic and foreign operations and supply chains.
Prompt
Provide a one paragraph, AI-generated draft of a policy statement involving human rights issues in Walmart’s supply chain
The AI Output
Walmart is committed to respecting and promoting human rights throughout its global supply chain by upholding internationally recognized standards related to labor rights, health and safety, and ethical business conduct. The company expects suppliers to prohibit forced labor, child labor, human trafficking, and discrimination, while providing safe working conditions, fair wages, and reasonable working hours in compliance with applicable laws. Walmart works to identify, assess, and address human rights risks through supplier standards, audits, training, and remediation processes, and encourages transparency and accountability across all tiers of its supply chain. Through continuous engagement with suppliers, workers, civil society, and industry partners, Walmart seeks to strengthen protections for workers and contribute to more responsible and resilient global supply chains.
My Edited Version
Walmart respects the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Labor Organization’s 1998 Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. These propose guidelines related to forced labor, child labor, human trafficking, and discrimination, while offering due diligence principles related to working conditions, fair wages, and reasonable working hours to employees, both within our stores and across our global supply chain. For example, the company’s responsible sourcing program began in 1992, and continues to provide ways for workers to report concerns and begin assessments and audits. With programs such as these, Walmart provides oversight of human rights concerns throughout its supply chain.
My Editorial Rationale
Instead of listing items that are included in every human rights policy, I identified comprehensive international standards that guide Walmart’s human rights initiatives. I included a description of the responsible sourcing program that has provided human rights oversight to Walmart’s supply chain for decades. These changes emphasize Walmart’s governance of human rights issues without incurring legal risk. As a result, this description of Walmart’s human rights policy is clearer and more substantive than a generic list produced without expert editorial review of ESG, EHS, and DEI disclosures.
