Vale recognizes and understands the many human rights challenges associated with its activities due to the inherent characteristics of the mining industry and the regions where it operates. Our commitment to human rights extends throughout every stage of the life cycle of our operations—from mineral exploration to mine closure and across all business lines.

When mining activities begin in areas with these characteristics, there is a risk of exacerbating the socioeconomic vulnerability of these communities. This requires the Company to take a strong approach to human rights management, as well as adopt a cross-sectoral approach to address the complex and systemic problems involved.

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Our approach

Vale’s human rights approach is aligned with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the UN Global Compact Principles, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the principles and guidelines of the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM), the performance standards of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and other relevant international standards. It is directly connected to our sustainability strategy, our Ethics & Compliance Program the organization’s cultural transformation and Vale’s 2030 Strategy.  

Our management approach is fully grounded in respect for, awareness of and promotion of human rights, including the prevention of risks and the management of adverse impacts and violations, as well as, where necessary, their mitigation and remediation, both in our operations and throughout our value chain. We also value and recognize the importance of engaging with stakeholders on critical issues to improve our processes and advance this agenda across the Company.

Learn more about Vale’s human rights approach in the Human Rights Overview.

Photo: Vale Archive

Governance

Vale’s human rights commitments must be upheld by everyone at the Company, beginning with the Board of Directors and extending to all employees. As the Company’s highest governance body, the Board of Directors is responsible for safeguarding this commitment. This responsibility is established in our bylaws. 
 
Human rights topics are monitored by the Sustainability Committee, which advises the Board of Directors. They are addressed at the executive level by the Sustainability Risk Executive Committee and the Communication Risk Executive Committee, and when appropriate, the Operational Risk Executive Committee, in accordance  with Vale's Risk Management Policy. 

These committees take a preventive approach and are responsible for supporting the executive vice president in monitoring business risks and making the necessary decisions.

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A paragraph is a self-contained unit of a discourse in writing dealing with a particular point or idea. Paragraphs are usually an expected part of formal writing, used to organize longer prose.
A paragraph is a self-contained unit of a discourse in writing dealing with a particular point or idea. Paragraphs are usually an expected part of formal writing, used to organize longer prose.
A paragraph is a self-contained unit of a discourse in writing dealing with a particular point or idea. Paragraphs are usually an expected part of formal writing, used to organize longer prose.

Policy commitment

To guide our actions, we have a global Code of Conduct tthat applies to all our subsidiaries and associates, including a dedicated section on human rights. Another core policy document is our Human Rights Policy, established in 2009 and most recently revised in 2023. During the previous revision, in 2019, Vale conducted a public consultation through its website in Portuguese and English, promoted via social media and email communications to a range of stakeholders. A total of 382 respondents from different sectors and social groups participated in the consultation, providing valuable contributions.

To make the policy’s content more tangible and accessible to employees, Vale has a​​​​​​​ Human Rights Guide (now in its 3rd edition) along with guidelines addressing critical Human Rights issues in the mining industry.

Photo: Vale Archive.

This set of documents and guidelines directs Vale’s management approach and position on subjects such as respect for diversity, political freedom and freedom of association; awareness of psychological and sexual harassment; combating the sexual exploitation of children and adolescents; tackling discrimination; combating child labor, forced labor and modern slavery; combating human trafficking; corporate security practices; engagement with communities, including Indigenous Peoples and traditional communities; involuntary resettlement; our Listening and Response Mechanism; and our Whistleblower Channel.

All employees, as well as employees of the joint ventures operated by Vale, are expected to be familiar with the Human Rights Policy and act in accordance with its principles. The Policy and the Principles of Conduct for Third Parties also require suppliers and business partners to apply equivalent principles in their own operations and throughout their value chains.

Human rights training and awareness raising

Vale provides human rights training for employees. The training is mandatory and available in Portuguese, Brazilian Sign Language (Libras), English, Spanish, Japanese, Bahasa Indonesia, Malay, Mandarin and Arabic in the different countries where Vale operates. For contractors, human rights training has been integrated into the onboarding process since 2023. Since then, 100% of suppliers with workers present at Vale sites have received this training.

In 2025, we revised the training content for both employees and contractors, simplifying the language and updating it to reflect the evolution of our management of salient human rights issues.

Knowledge is also disseminated by our Human Rights team through in-person and virtual training sessions and dedicated programs, including initiatives tailored to areas with greater relevance to human rights, such as specialized training for the Corporate Security team in alignment with the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights. Suppliers at higher risk of human rights impacts also receive customized training.

Photo: Vale Archive

Vale also provides content on critical topics for employees, suppliers, joint ventures and customers, including:

•    Indigenous Peoples’ cultures and realities;
•    gender relations;
•    forced labor and modern slavery;
•    child labor;
•    sexual exploitation of children and adolescents;
•    collective bargaining and freedom of association;
•    diversity and inclusion.

Human Rights and Decent Work

Human Rights Dialogues

Guide to Preventing and Combating the Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents

Guide to Preventing and Combating Modern Slavery

Guide to Preventing and Combating Child Labor

Watch a  vídeo featuring a voiceover by Professor John Ruggie reading an article he wrote for Vale’s Walk magazine.

Human rights risk and impact management

Vale’s risk management process, including for human rights, follows the Three Lines of Defense Model. As the first line of defense, operational areas have primary responsibility and manage risks directly by identifying and monitoring them in an integrated manner.

As the second line of defense, the Company’s Human Rights area, which specializes in this subject, develops and oversees risk management, internal controls and compliance, identifies and monitors new and emerging risks, and ensures continuous improvement and compliance with the risk management model, laws, regulations and standards. It also trains and advises operations on risk identification and reports risk management results to the Risk Committees and the executive vice president.

Photo: Vale Archive.

Finally, as a third line of defense, the Internal Audit area and the Whistleblower Channel—which are independent from management—conduct assessments and inspections, including control testing and investigations of reports. The Internal Audit function oversees the Company’s different areas, including their processes and human rights risk management.

Impact management is governed by our Global Human Rights Policy. At Vale, this process may be triggered as a result of direct verification, complaints received through the Company’s Listening and Response Mechanism, responses to allegations, independent human rights due diligence, internal audit processes, reports submitted through the Whistleblower Channel, and new business processes (mergers and acquisitions and joint ventures).

The risk of human rights violations is included in Vale’s Integrated Risk Map, and all of our critical operations and projects assess this risk and monitor it through our global management system. Human rights are also considered in assessments of the potential risks and impacts associated with mineral exploration activities, operations, certain corporate functions and projects, as well as in the oversight of  joint ventures.    

In response to new circumstances, such as expansion into new countries or the establishment of new business relationships, Vale carries out additional due diligence and risk assessments. For example, expanding into a new region with socioeconomic vulnerabilities may require specific measures to ensure the protection of human rights and the mitigation of risks.

As part of these assessments, potential risk drivers are analyzed and grouped according to Vale’s salient human rights issues: deficiencies or failures in the hiring process (recruitment and mobilization) for employees or workers providing services to Vale; noncompliance with contractual obligations and labor and social security legislation; absence of or deficiencies in monitoring working conditions; inappropriate employee conduct involving discrimination and/or harassment; and Vale’s direct or indirect connection to child labor and/or the sexual exploitation of children or adolescents. Both preventive and mitigation measures are adopted as part of our risk management approach, and the effectiveness of controls is monitored through periodic testing.

The outcome of this analysis is a continuous improvement process aimed at identifying, preventing, mitigating and addressing adverse human rights risks and impacts, with a focus on people: employees, contractors and community members, including Indigenous Peoples and traditional communities.

All of the Company’s nonoperational risks consider the social and human rights dimension when classifying impact severity. As a result, assessments within this category take into account aspects related to salient human rights issues, as well as financial, reputational, environmental and occupational health and safety considerations.

In addition to human rights risk assessments, Vale is also committed to conducting human rights due diligence (HRDD) at all critical operations and projects on a three- to five-year cycle.

The process is carried out by an independent specialized consulting firm through the review of documents and on-site conditions, as well as interviews and focus groups, sometimes grouped by gender, involving Vale employees and contractors, community members and representatives of government, academia and civil society.

The results are shared with Vale’s Human Rights area, as well as with each assessed operation and its respective leadership. The recommendations are translated into controls and corrective actions to strengthen risk management and remediate identified adverse impacts. The Human Rights area oversees the entire process and monitors the implementation of the controls and corrective actions.
Between 2019 and 2023, the first HRDD cycle was completed at our operations in Brazil (including active, suspended and decharacterization sites) and at our iron ore operations in Malaysia and Oman.

The results of the first HRDD cycle identified challenges related to working conditions for contractors, infrastructure and facilities management, corporate security, psychological and sexual harassment, discrimination, and diversity and inclusion.
Based on the lessons learned from the first cycle, we revised the HRDD methodology by expanding the assessment processes and criteria, and reviewing governance, roles and responsibilities.

In 2024, we launched the second HRDD cycle, covering our operations in Oman and five operations in our Brazilian Northern System: Serra Norte, Serra Sul (S11D), Serra Leste, Azul Manganese and the Carajás Railroad. In 2025, we completed the second HRDD cycle in the Northern System, assessing the Serra Sul production capacity expansion project and the Ponta da Madeira Maritime Terminal expansion project. We also launched the second cycle in the Southeastern Corridor, covering the Itabira and Mariana iron ore complexes in the state of Minas Gerais.

Compared to the first HRDD cycle, the partial results of the second cycle revealed improvements in worker safety through the implementation of a “right to refuse unsafe work” channel, greater availability of infrastructure (restrooms and locker rooms), broader dissemination of training and awareness campaigns on salient human rights issues, stronger contract management and oversight controls, and increased awareness of the Whistleblower Channel and community engagement mechanisms.
We continue to face challenges related to the availability and condition of worker facilities and infrastructure, as well as ethical conduct and working conditions for migrant workers. These issues are being addressed through action and mitigation plans that are continuously monitored by the Company.

Since 2025, in line with the revised methodology, we have strengthened the monitoring of action plans resulting from completed HRDD assessments, working with operations and projects to improve the timely implementation of corrective actions.

Click here to learn more about Vale’s human rights due diligence methodology.

In compliance with the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM), during the first cycle of independent human rights due diligence (HRDD), 48 tailings storage facilities (TSFs) classified as having extreme or very high consequence in Brazil and Canada underwent impact assessments based on the GISTM criteria. In 2023, the main findings from the HRDD processes conducted at Iron Ore Solutions TSFs highlighted areas of concern related to the right to information, the right to livelihoods, the right to housing, the right to life, and the effectiveness of our Listening and Response Mechanism and Whistleblower Channel.

Beginning with the second HRDD cycle, GISTM-related aspects were integrated into the HRDD processes conducted for critical operations and projects, incorporating the impacts of TSFs within operational complexes.

Mergers and acquisitions involving new projects and joint ventures (JVs) may also undergo due diligence, as may Vale and supplier accommodations, using specific methodologies and procedures. In cases where Vale does not control or operate the venture, its level of influence, as well as its ability to identify and manage risks, is limited. Even so, we recommend and encourage the adoption of leading standards, controls and procedures by appointing highly qualified representatives to the governance bodies of these companies, promoting the exchange of experience and best practices among group companies, using self-assessment questionnaires and providing functional support to the business.

Click here to learn more about Vale’s human rights due diligence methodology.

As part of its risk and impact assessment process, Vale implements human rights management for its suppliers through a partnership between the Procurement and Human Rights areas, supported by a team dedicated exclusively to this work. This process covers the supplier’s entire journey with the Company, from registration to contract management, including independent human rights due diligence, as well as supply chain training and development.

Before entering into a contract with Vale, all suppliers undergo a background check based on publicly available information and the submission of documentation related to their Health, Safety and Environment (HSE), human rights and integrity practices.
 
In Brazil, suppliers are screened against the Labor Ministry’s Slave Labor Dirty List, of employers found to have engaged in slave labor as part of the monitoring process, covering 100% of the Company’s supplier base. 

Under their contracts with the Company, suppliers commit to acting in accordance with the Principles of Conduct for Third Parties. Through contract clauses, they agree to uphold the expected standards of conduct, including providing decent working conditions; preventing and combating child labor and the sexual exploitation of children and adolescents; combating forced labor, modern slavery and human trafficking; not tolerating discrimination or harassment; and respecting freedom of association and collective bargaining. Vale’s standard contract template also includes anticorruption and HSE clauses.

Human rights risk assessments for suppliers consider the supply category, the supplier’s location and the characteristics of its contract with Vale as criteria for risk classification within the ESG Matrix, as part of the Responsible Procurement Program’s risk management measures. Mitigation measures include training, self-assessment questionnaires, document reviews and on-site inspections of work areas and accommodations.

When human rights impacts or noncompliance are identified, suppliers may be required to prepare a corrective action plan for monitoring by Vale or, depending on the severity of the issue, may have their contract terminated.

In 2025, independent HRDD processes were conducted for 98 suppliers, including 129 accommodations. The main findings from these assessments identified the following challenges: preventing the sexual exploitation of children and adolescents, improving the reliability of whistleblower channels, and strengthening labor relations and working conditions.

In this way, we continue to make progress toward our commitment to ensure that mitigation measures are in place for 100% of suppliers classified as high risk for Vale by 2027. By the end of 2025, mitigation measures had been implemented for 80% of these suppliers, up from 72% at the end of 2024. These mitigation measures may include independent HRDD, training, monitoring through the Labor Risk Management System and self-assessment questionnaires.

Since 2023, suppliers operating outside Brazil, in Malaysia and Oman, have also been subject to human rights risk management measures. Like Brazilian suppliers, they have mitigation measures in place and monitored through action plans.

Vale contributes to supplier development by providing training to improve their human rights performance and encourages suppliers to implement compliance programs, establish and publicize listening mechanisms, and follow the same guidance throughout their own supply chains. By fostering dialogue, transparency and shared responsibility with suppliers and partners, we seek to mitigate risks and contribute to more ethical, resilient relationships, while protecting and promoting human rights throughout the value chain.

Between 2024 and 2025, of the three partners included in the Brazilian Labor Ministry’s Slave Labor Dirty List, two provided all requested clarifications, agreed to participate in additional engagement activities and Vale’s human rights training, implemented immediate corrective measures and established corrective action plans that were monitored by the Company. As a result, contract termination was avoided, demonstrating the engagement of both parties and their commitment to ensuring decent work.

We promote knowledge sharing to help build a more responsible supply chain that is aware of salient human rights issues.

The Decent Work Caravan is a cross-functional initiative involving the Human Rights, Labor Relations, Procurement, Legal and Whistleblower Channel teams, in partnership with the Brazilian Labor Ministry’s Regional Labor Office. The project is aimed at Vale contract managers and inspectors, as well as representatives of contractor companies, with the goal of raising awareness of human rights risks and strengthening the support network.

The 2025 editions involved 164 companies and 820 participants, in addition to a presentation on the initiative at the Exposibram mining conference. Since its launch in 2023, the Decent Work Caravan has held 21 editions, reaching more than 2,500 participants and engaging over 200 suppliers.

Vale and its subsidiaries oppose modern slavery and human trafficking in all their forms and expect their suppliers to also combat modern slavery in their own networks of suppliers and subcontractors.

Our risk and impact management approach reinforces our commitments to safety, sustainability and respect for human rights throughout the value chain, in compliance with the UK Modern Slavery Act and Canada’s Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act (also known as Canada’s Modern Slavery Act).

Listening and Response Mechanism and Whistleblower Channel

The Listening and Response Mechanism is our global system for managing stakeholder submissions. It includes a network of listening channels with both global coverage and local adaptations in certain areas where Vale operates.

These channels offer multiple contact options, including a toll-free telephone line, an online form, a WhatsApp messaging service and Community Relations teams that communicate directly with stakeholders in the local language, enabling greater dialogue and engagement, as well as faster and more effective mitigation and resolution of potential conflicts.

No confidentiality agreement is required as a condition for participating in the grievance process, ensuring that anyone can freely access the channels.

Anyone may request information or raise concerns regarding human rights impacts. The average time to resolve a submission is 30 days, although the mechanism requires the channels to provide an initial response to the person submitting the concern within 10 days.

Whistleblower Channel

As part of Vale’s  Ethics & Compliance Program, the Whistleblower Channel, which is available in all local languages, can be accessed by anyone, inside or outside the Company, who wishes to confidentially report suspected or actual ethical misconduct.
All employees and contractors are informed about grievance mechanisms during human rights training. Vale also publicizes its channels at its operations and in neighboring communities, on its website, on social media, on its ESG Portal and through targeted campaigns and outreach activities.
In 2025, 59% of the 10,079 cases received and closed through the Whistleblower Channel involved interpersonal relationships, including issues such as inappropriate behavior, poor people management, psychological or sexual harassment and discrimination. To learn more about the main types of allegations received through the Whistleblower Channel, see the Ethics & Compliance Program’s Annual Report.
 

In addition to these channels, Vale has maintained the Respect Channel since 2022. This initiative was developed in response to insights from the Whistleblower Channel, to provide a more compassionate response in cases of harassment and discrimination in Brazil and Canada. The channel provides a dedicated listening service delivered by independent, specialized professionals to support and guide employees and contractors who are experiencing sexual harassment or discrimination. In 2025, Vale also established a Domestic Violence Victim Support Channel to support, guide and assist individuals experiencing domestic violence or seeking information on the subject. Access to both channels may be anonymous and is confidential. 

Remediation

VAnother of Vale’s commitments is to remediate human rights impacts that it causes, contributes to or is directly linked to. This work is carried out directly and/or through partners, with the aim of involving stakeholders in the design and implementation of remediation measures and in monitoring the agreed solutions.

Vale is also guided by the principles of precaution and non-repetition, having reassessed all aspects of its business as part of its strategy to strengthen sustainability performance. In this context, following the Mariana and Brumadinho dam failures, Vale revised its human rights governance and management, as well as its governance and processes related to health and safety, operational excellence, operational risk assessment and remediation.

Photo: Vale Archive

In Brumadinho, the agreement for socioeconomic reparation includes a number of programs providing for expanded engagement with communities, civil society organizations and residents’ associations. The collaborative development of projects with communities seeks to listen to them and incorporate their expectations into the various reparation initiatives designed and implemented in the affected areas. To support these engagement processes, provide psychosocial support and maintain ongoing day-to-day interaction, we have Community Relations teams made up of multidisciplinary professionals dedicated to serving the entire affected population, including local residents, Indigenous Peoples and traditional communities.

Stakeholder engagement

Engaging stakeholders on critical human rights issues is essential to developing better proposals and joint solutions, while also helping advance Vale’s human rights agenda across the Company.

Based on the characteristics of each stakeholder group and the most sensitive issues affecting them, Vale uses a thematic matrix to guide the focus of its actions (see below). 

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The work carried out by our security teams is particularly important, as they are responsible for safeguarding people’s physical safety, protecting assets and information, and ensuring the continuity of the Company’s operations. While their own rights must also be respected, they routinely deal with conflict situations and are expected to prioritize peaceful solutions that respect human rights.

Accordingly, the management of our security teams encompasses a range of measures, from selecting employees based on technical competence and emotional stability to providing training on human rights and the proportional use of force, while emphasizing peaceful conflict resolution and the careful treatment of vulnerable individuals and groups, among other measures. We are signatories to the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights (VPSHR) and we implement them across our operations. We also maintain open dialogue with communities and local authorities to help resolve conflicts.

Vale recognizes the important role played by human rights and environmental defenders and neither tolerates nor contributes to threats, intimidation or attacks against them. We provide a Listening and Response Mechanism, as well as our Whistleblower Channel, to report and address potential adverse impacts arising from our activities.

Learn more about our actions related to other stakeholder groups, including Suppliers, Local Communities, and Indigenous Peoples and traditional communities, on the respective pages and in Vale's Global Human Rights Policy.

We participate in major initiatives with human rights organizations, engaging on salient human rights issues*, such as the sexual exploitation of children and adolescents, modern slavery, artisanal and small-scale mining, and living wages. These issues are addressed through strategic partnerships. This participation also contributes to the development of standards and procedures, the sharing of challenges and best practices, and the anticipation and understanding of global trends. 

Commitments and targets

Vale has a roadmap to continuously improve all its human rights management macroprocesses through 2030. It covers the Company’s key operational stages and responsibilities, including:

Policy commitment and integration

  • Ensure awareness of the new Global Human Rights Policy among all employees; 
  • Integrate human rights content into existing Company policies and standards; 
  • Provide human rights training for leaders, employees and contractors.

Photo: Vale Archive

Risk and impact assessment

  • Continue to conduct independent human rights due diligence for operations and projects;
  • Strengthen supply chain risk management beyond Brazil.
  • Monitor controls and 100% of operational action plans; 

Monitoring and reporting

  • Improve the process for recording and reporting information and issues related to human rights management, including the development of indicators;
  • Monitor action plans resulting from independent human rights due diligence and assessments;
  • Monitor trends and changes in legal requirements and identify best practices in human rights management. 

Targets and performance

  • 100% of employees trained in human rights
  • 100% of Corporate Security teams trained in human rights-specific content
  • 100% of critical operations and projects subject to independent human rights due diligence on a three- to five-year cycle
  • 100% adherence to the implementation schedules of action plans resulting from independent human rights due diligence of critical operations and projects by 2027
  • 100% of high-risk suppliers with mitigation measures in place by 2027
  • Resolution of allegations, including 100% of those disclosed by the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre

Listening, response and reporting mechanisms

  • Continue to enhance these mechanisms as a source of continuous learning, based on stakeholder engagement and dialogue;
  • Implement case management systems in all operations, ensuring that basic criteria are adapted to each location.

Remediation beyond priority reparation processes

  • Ensure effective remediation of human rights impacts caused by the Company and, where Vale’s activities contribute to or are linked to impacts, that the Company is part of the solution

Partnerships

  • Continue to implement the  Living Wage Program program for employees, providing decent wages consistent with global benchmarks.