The RBA Code of Conduct is a set of social, environmental and ethical industry standards. The standards set out in the Code of Conduct reference international norms and standards including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, ILO International Labor Standards, OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, ISO and SA standards, and many more. While the Code of Conduct originated with the electronics industry in mind, it is applicable to and used by many industries beyond electronics.
The RBA Code of Conduct version 5.0 was ratified in 2014 and went into effect on April 1, 2015. In March of 2015, the RBA membership held a special out-of-cycle vote to further amend section A1 – Freely Chosen Employment – of the Code. The approved language, which moved the Code to zero fees for workers, can be viewed here. The current Definition of Fees, effective Jan. 1, 2019, related to this new language can be viewed here. The recently updated Definition of Fees, which go into effect on Jan. 1, 2020, related to that language can be viewed here.
Version 5.1 of the Code went into effect on Jan. 1, 2016. Version 6.0 of the RBA Code of Conduct was ratified in 2017 and went into effect Jan. 1, 2018. Version 6.0 can be viewed here and in multiple languages below.
In addition, to fully understand the detailed RBA Code of Conduct requirements, please view version 6.0.1 of the RBA Code Interpretation Guidance, which can be found within the public version of the VAP Operations Manual here in English.
View upcoming trainings on the RBA Code of Conduct and VAP here.
Download the RBA Code of Conduct 6.0 (effective Jan. 1, 2018)
Translations
Code Review Process
The RBA Code of Conduct is reviewed every three years to ensure its relevance to international norms and issues members may face in their supply chains. Code of Conduct review processes are extensive (typically one year in duration) and follow a thorough consultation process with members and stakeholders.
