I am pleased to confirm that the National Bank reaffirms its support to the Ten Principles of the United Nations Global Compact in the areas of Human Rights, Labour, Environment and Anti Corruption.
In our third annual Communication on Progress, we describe our actions to integrate the Global Compact and its principles into our business strategy, culture and daily operations. We are also committed to share this information with our stakeholders using our primary channels of communication.

Yours Sincerely
Ahmad Hajhasan
General Manager

The National Bank adopts the United Nations Global Compact principles of human rights. TNB respects human rights and makes sure to implement all its related principles in our day to day operations .TNB has made it clear that it refuses any kind of human rights abuses.

Human rights principles in The National Bank are adopted in several ways, Ever since inception and well before the conversion of The National Bank (TNB), previously known as “ Alrafah Microfinance Bank”, focused on Women’s Empowerment through its operations and social responsibility. The bank was specialized in financing small and micro projects in the market, where the majority of borrowers portfolio consisted of women operating small businesses throughout the West Bank.

The latest statistics revealed by Palestine Monitory Authority showed that there’s a gap in financial inclusion across demographics between Palestinian men and women and between residents of Palestinian suburbs and cities. As a financial institution, we believe that it’s one of our main responsibilities is to decrease this gap by reaching out to suburbs and creating some specialized products focusing on women, because we believe that every resident has the right to have access to banking services.
As a result, The National Bank has modified its strategic expansion plans reaching out to suburbs and rural areas and developing a bundle of specialized products for women such as “Hayati” Savings Account (the first savings account for women in Palestine), Women’s Empowerment Micro Loans Program and Gold as Collateral Loans to ensure gender inclusion. TNB also boasts to be the leader in the Palestinian market in developing a special micro lending program for disabled people, allowing them to be productive, generate steady income and reduce unemployment & poverty rates among them.

TNB supporting diversity in the work place: According to recent statistics issued by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, females form 19% of workforce in the Palestinian labor market, whereas females form 35% of TNB’s workforce. TNB believes in gender equality and actively works on investing in their female employees through encouraging them to seek higher education, training courses and introducing them to the latest technologies reached in the field. Women at TNB hold many vital positions such as managers and head of sections.
TNB has developed its own CSR policy and has engaged this principle as one of the major frameworks that determine our social contribution. Our staff is also committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity, neutrality and impartiality at work and outside. TNB refuses all kind of abuses to human rights including discrimination and stereotyping, which has been made clear to all our employees and stakeholders.

Reports on regular basis, are provided by our Human Resources Department to our senior management team on implementing the UNGS’s human rights principles, if any violation occurs it will be reported instantly and correction actions are taken directly.

The National Bank adopts the United Nations Global Compact principles of labour, we also work within the regulations of the Palestinian Ministry of Labour, which ensures implementing all regulations including abolition of child labour and the elimination of discrimination.

TNB is an equal organization that believes in democracy and negotiations which will definitely lead to finding productive solutions to any potential problems, we built an internal system to encourage collective bargaining and ease the communication between employees and the senior management team. TNB has developed a social committee for employees to ensure surrounding them with social activities and encourage keeping strong relationships between them and the senior management team. TNB also provides health care insurance to all employees and their families. Motivations are granted on an annual base according to evaluations revised and signed by the employees themselves. TNB invests in their own employees by encouraging them to seek higher education, training courses and introducing them to the latest technologies reached in the field. Our Human Resource Department has circulated UNGS’s 10 principles to all our employees, and were asked to engage them in their day to day operations. TNB’s working environment is full of respect, neutrality and democracy. In the year 2015, The National Bank has signed the Women Empowerment Principles which is a joint initiative of the United Nations Global Compact to also advance gender equality in the workplace.

Our senior management team receives regular reports from the Human Resources Department concerning recruitment, and implementation of the labour principles. If any violation occurs, it is reported immediately and correction actions are taken instantly. Our PR department also provides senior management team with reports evaluating the satisfaction of employees, to guarantee a healthy work environment full of equality and democracy.

The National Bank has adopted the United Nations Global Compact principles concerning the Environment. Ever since signing up with the UN Global Compact, environment related issues became one of the major priorities in our strategies. Environment is also one of the major guidelines for our CSR policy.

At The National Bank, we consider protecting the environment as a main pillar in our business and CSR strategies. Therefore, we have created a monitoring system to track the projects we finance to fully meet international standards in protecting environment, preventing pollution, reducing global warming, protecting agricultural lands and natural resources, and supporting renewable energy sources projects. The National Bank boasts the largest Agricultural loans portfolio among banks in Palestine and has also developed a renewable energy sources loan program to encourage Palestinians use clean sources of energy with a lower impact on environment.
The National Bank has also contributed towards several initiatives and done several campaigns to raise the awareness on protecting the environment. The National Bank has also raised the value of volunteering within its staff by creating internal voluntary groups to contribute towards the community in line with its CSR program strategies. In the past year, TNB employees have proved their capabilities as individuals in contributing towards sustainable development of the Palestinian society through several environmental initiatives including: Greening and planting lands, helping farmers during harvest seasons, cleaning and sweeping streets of neighborhoods and much more.

In addition to adopting UNGC’s principles on environment, The National Bank is also proud to be the first bank in Palestine to adopt and implement OPIC’s Social and Environmental policy. TNB has built a strict monitoring system to track its investments and projects adhering to compliance with law, human rights, gender equality and women’s empowerment, labour right, protection of natural habitats, conservation of biological diversity, climate change, pollution prevention and resource efficiency, public health, physical and cultural heritage and the protection of agricultural lands and soil conservation. Reports are sent to senior management on regular basis to guarantee fulfilling the environmental related issues and implementing our friendly environment policy in all our operations.

The National Bank adopts the United Nations Global Compact principles on Anti-corruption. And works under other universal policies such as: Anti Money Laundering, Know Your Customer and Combating Terrorists Financing. And also adopts other universal policies concerning governance.TNB combats corruption in all its forms and refuses all kinds of extortion and bribery, which is our core value.

The National Bank always ensures that its operations are all done in compliance with the UNGC’s anti-corruption principles; reports on every client are made, sources of money must be identified, all precautionary procedures are taken in order to guarantee clean sources of money. TNB also maintains the highest levels of transparency and regulatory compliance, in accordance with the highest international and regional standards, implementing international policies such as Anti Money Laundering (AML), Combating Terrorists Financing (CTF), and Know Your Customer (KYC) in addition to creating a Governance Guide . UNGC’s principles on Anti-corruption are circulated to all TNB’s employees, and are asked to engage these principles in their day to day operations.

Our Compliance and Risk Departments regularly provides our senior management team with reports concerning compliance with the UN Global Compact principles about Anti-corruption, if any violation occurs, it is reported directly to the Board of Directors and correction actions are taken immediately .TNB was given Aman’s Integrity Award for its transparency and integrity.