Banned cluster munitions and anti-personnel land mines
Our stakeholders and society in general are rightly concerned about the production, sale and use of banned cluster munitions and anti-personnel land mines. They cause immeasurable suffering and hold back countries’ post-conflict development through injury and death to children and agricultural workers who accidentally pick up or step-on unexploded ordnance. It also exposes customers and us to a loss of trust with stakeholders as well as reputational damage.
Although cluster munitions and landmines are now banned by international treaty, there are some hundreds of millions either in use or available for use. Banned cluster munitions and landmines continue to maim or kill people around the world every day. The bans have been enacted because these weapons often inflict cruel, arbitrary punishment on people. Somewhere between 10-40 percent of these munitions fail to explode on impact. Moreover, their deployment is often inaccurate, with large numbers of them in non-military zones where civilians live and work. They tend to go off accidentally, when disturbed by ordinary activities such as farming, building, transport or even just walking. This infestation makes vast areas of valuable land off-limits, destroying livelihoods. Communities can be affected for decades after the end of an armed conflict.
Zurich will not enter into new business relationships with companies that produce, stockpile, distribute, market, or sell banned cluster munitions or anti-personnel landmines. If we become aware of potential involvement of an existing customer or investee company in such activities, we will engage in a maximum two-year dialogue to explain our position on this sustainability issue and expect compliance with the relevant international treaties. During that period, Zurich will neither quote new business nor increase its direct investments. Zurich will stop business dealings in a phased way if a customer has not committed to stopping the activity after one year, where permissible by law or regulation. Business dealings include the provision of insurance products and services and direct investments.
