Ethical Responsibilities
ASFIN is committed to ethical and professional practice in all its operations. The statements on the following pages represent the foundational philosophy that underpins all ASFIN activities and should inform the practice of its members. ASFIN encourages the professional development of its members and professionals and industry generally by providing a range of documents on best practice in SME finance and investment and sustainability and related topics.
Click 'read more' below to find out more about these ethical responsibilities:
- Professional Responsibilities: ASFIN as an organisation promotes the ethical and professional practice of its staff and members.
- Business Operations: To give effect to the ASFIN value of promoting sustainability in the Network's business practices, ASFIN has adopted an internal policy to guide its activities.
- Professional Code of Conduct: ASFIN encourages its members to make a personal pledge of commitment to a Professional Code of Conduct.
Professional Responsibilities
ASFIN as an organisation promotes the following:
- We compile or review sustainability practices with integrity and honesty, and free from misrepresentation or deliberate bias.
- Our personal beliefs should not interfere with fair representation of the potential impacts of policies, plans, programs, and projects.
- We uphold the principle of freedom of access to information and the right of citizens to participate in decisions that affect them.
- We seek sustainable and equitable outcomes from human actions that affect ecosystems and people.
- We seek a practice of sustainability that averts infringement of the human rights of any section of society.
- We do not condone the use of violence, harassment, intimidation, or undue force in connection with any aspect of sustainability practice or its implementation.
- We believe sustainability practices should integrate social, ethical, and cultural and health impacts with impacts on the biophysical environment and earth systems, including climate and biodiversity.
- We know that different groups in society experience benefits and harm in different ways. We strive to promote considerations of equity as a fundamental element corporate sustainability. We seek to take gender and other social differences into account, and we are especially mindful of the concerns of Indigenous peoples.
- We give due regard to the rights and interests of future generations.
- We strive for excellence by maintaining and enhancing our own knowledge and skills, by encouraging the professional development of co-workers, and by fostering the aspirations of potential members of the profession.
- We do not advance our private interests to the detriment of the public, our clients or employing institutions.