IKEA on Belarus prison labor: We never accept human rights violations

November 18, BPN. IKEA has told BPN that it takes the recent reports on Belarus seriously, and never accepts human rights violations in its business.

“While present in Belarus, we carried out regular audits in combination with the mapping of our supply chain to secure compliance with our requirements,” it said. “Anytime we receive indications of misconduct, we take them seriously, investigate and act on them. We always strive to live up to our values and the expectations of those in our supply chain.”

The furniture retailer was commenting on an investigation published by German newspaper taz and French website Disclose.

The investigation focused on prisoners’ work for IKEA contractors: textile company Mogotex, furniture company Ivacevičdreŭ and the Borwood group of companies, headquartered in Minsk, which includes the BR-Wood, BR-Forest and Viciebskdreŭ firms.

As an example, the reporters mentioned Ivacevičy-based Correctional Institution No. 5, which, according to its website, makes furniture.

IKEA came to the Belarusian market in 1999, and in 2007 an affiliate company, Ingka Belarus BV, opened in the Netherlands. Purchases in Belarus grew from €130 million in 2018 to €300 million in 2021. IKEA continued to cooperate with Belarus’ firms despite the crackdown on its people, the reporters said. They recalled that in 2012, IKEA acknowledged the use of political prisoners’ labor in East Germany in the 1970s and 1980s.

“At IKEA, we take the reports regarding Belarus very seriously and never accept human rights violations in our supply chain. We are clear across all markets where we are present that human rights abuses have no place in our business,” the company told BPN.

“With our long-term approach, we seek to create sustainable change for the better wherever we are present. We take our responsibility seriously to ensure we have embedded processes to identify and minimize risks through robust due diligence processes, including verification by third-party auditors,” it said.

The company added that in June 2021, it decided to “stop all new business development” because of the human rights issues and the unpredictable situation in Belarus. It considered leaving the country “without risking the livelihoods of thousands of people we directly or indirectly employed.”

“The war in Ukraine and the international sanctions accelerated these plans. In June 2022, IKEA decided to leave the country and terminate contracts with our suppliers,” it said.