Country exclusions

Swiss Re also excludes certain countries from its business that have particularly poor human rights records. This step goes further than compliance with international trade controls (ITCs). Our goal is to refrain from directly underwriting risks or making investments in entities that are based in these countries. At the end of 2016, the list of excluded countries comprised the Central African Republic, Chad, DR Congo, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan (both North and South) and Syria. We review this list annually based on independent human rights assessments and update it if warranted. The review carried out in 2016 did not produce any changes.

As the Sustainability Risk Framework is based on the principles of respecting human rights and protecting the environment, the SBR process with its two due diligence tools, the company exclusions and the country exclusions are our principal means to ensure compliance with the UN Global Compact in our core business.