Exhibit 1.01
The Procter & Gamble Company
Conflict Minerals Report
This Conflict Minerals Report for the year ended December 31, 2018 is provided by The Procter & Gamble
Company (the “Company”) pursuant to Rule 13p-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Rule”). Under the Rule, we are required to make certain disclosures regarding our manufactured products that contain conflict minerals, provided
those conflict minerals are necessary to the functionality or production of those products. As defined by the Rule, and for purposes of this report, the conflict minerals are cassiterite, columbite-tantalite, gold, wolframite, and their
derivatives, which are limited to tin, tantalum, and tungsten (“Conflict Minerals”; tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold collectively are referred to as “3TG”). References in this report to “we,” “us” or “our” refers to the Company and our
subsidiaries, unless otherwise specified or unless the context otherwise requires.
As detailed below, based on our reasonable country of origin inquiry, the Company has no reason to believe that
the 3TG in any of our products is funding armed conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo or an adjoining country (collectively, the “Covered Countries”). However, it remains challenging for many companies and their suppliers (including us
and our suppliers) to gather complete and reliable data. For that reason, we have not been able to rule out the possibility that some Conflict Minerals in our products may have originated in the Covered Countries and may not be from recycled
or scrap sources. Consequently, we exercised due diligence on the Conflict Minerals’ origin and chain of custody and we are providing this Conflict Minerals Report to describe our due diligence processes and results.
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1.
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Company Overview
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The Company is a global leader in retail goods, focused on providing branded consumer packaged goods of
superior quality and value to our consumers around the world. Our products are sold in more than 180 countries and territories primarily through mass merchandisers, grocery stores, membership club stores, drug stores, department stores, salons,
high-frequency stores, and distributors.
The vast majority of the Company’s products do not contain Conflict Minerals. Based on an extensive review of
our products, only a small number of products were identified as falling within the scope of the Rule: blades and razors, electric charging devices, electric toothbrushes, powered beauty devices, and small electronic appliances.
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2.
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Conflict Minerals Program and Compliance Systems
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Our Conflict Minerals Program has been designed to conform, in all material respects, with the framework
described in The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (“OECD”) Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas (“OECD Guidance”) and the related Supplements for gold
and for tin, tantalum, and tungsten. We are a “downstream company” within the meaning of the OECD Guidance, and, therefore, have designed our Conflict Minerals Program in a manner consistent with those portions of the OECD Guidance
specifically applicable to downstream companies.
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a)
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Conflict Minerals Policy Statement
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The Company has adopted the following Conflict Minerals Policy Statement, which is publicly available on our
website at http://us.pg.com/sustainability/community-impact/policies-practices/conflict-materials.
We're committed to ensuring that we are not sourcing minerals (tin, tantalum, tungsten,
gold) that fund armed groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo and adjoining countries. We do not ban sourcing of minerals from this region because such a policy may harm legitimate miners.
We’re taking steps across our entire supply chain to confirm our sourcing does not fund
armed groups in the DRC and adjoining countries. As part of this program, we continue to carry out a reasonable country of origin inquiry on the products we manufacture and perform supply chain due diligence following the processes and
procedures set forth in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas. Our Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer is
responsible for the efforts of this team.
We expect suppliers to
have a policy in place and implement a system to trace the origin of tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold supplied to the Company, following the template developed by the Responsible Minerals Initiative. Suppliers are encouraged to report any
ethical concerns or policy violations, as outlined at http://www.pgsupplier.com/en/pg-values/report-a-concern.shtml. This reporting mechanism is operated by a third-party supplier to help ensure anonymity.
If any external business partner has challenges in complying with our expectation, we'll
attempt to work to address these challenges. If compliance cannot be achieved, we will terminate the relationship with the external business partner.
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b)
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Internal Management Systems and Controls
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i)
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Compliance Team
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In order to facilitate our compliance with the Rule, the Company created a multi-functional core team (“Core
Team”), which includes representatives from Purchases, Product Supply, Sustainability, Research & Development, Finance & Accounting, Global Business Services, Corporate Communications, Corporate Compliance, and Legal. The Core Team
designed an extensive Conflict Minerals Program, including, but not limited to, processes for supply chain review, supplier and employee outreach, due diligence, and risk management. Our Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer is responsible for
the efforts of the Core Team.
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ii)
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Control Systems
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As a downstream company, the Company does not generally have a direct relationship with mines from which
mineral ores are extracted, or with 3TG smelters and refiners or other upstream participants. Consequently, we have engaged with other companies through trade associations and industry initiatives, such as the Responsible Business
Alliance-Global e-Sustainability Initiative’s (“RBA-GeSI”) Responsible Minerals Initiative (“RMI”), to improve transparency with respect to smelters and other upstream participants in the Conflict Minerals supply chain.
In addition to our Conflict Minerals Policy, our work is governed by:
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our Worldwide Business Conduct Manual, which contains the global standards P&G employees must follow to ensure they uphold P&G’s Purpose, Values and Principles in their daily work (available at http://www.pg.com/en_US/downloads/company/governance/Policy_Worldwide_Business_Conduct_Manual.pdf); |
| • | our Sustainability Guidelines for External Business Partners, which outline the values we seek in the suppliers with whom we do business (available at http://www.pgsupplier.com/en/pg-values/sustainability.shtml); and |
| • | our Human Rights Policy Statement, which outlines our commitment to respect human rights and the expectation that our business partners share this commitment (available at https://us.pg.com/sustainability/community-impact/policies-practices). |
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iii)
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Supplier Engagement
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We have engaged with our suppliers to ensure they are aware of the Rule and the implications for them as
suppliers of the Company. The Company communicates with all Company suppliers that we anticipate would be within the scope of the Rule, informing them that each in-scope supplier is expected to have a conflict minerals policy in place and to
implement a system to trace the origin of any 3TG supplied to the Company, including by collecting the supplier and smelter information called for by the template developed by the RBA-GeSI (the “Template”), which we provide to each direct
supplier. We also provide a Company contact to answer any questions the suppliers have regarding implementation of the Rule.
As described in our Conflict Minerals Policy, we will engage with any of our suppliers if we have reason to
believe that the supplier is providing the Company with 3TG that may support conflict in the Covered Countries, with the goal of establishing an alternative source of 3TG that does not support such conflict. To date, we have found no instance
where there is reason to believe our sourcing of 3TG is being used to fund armed conflict in the Covered Countries; therefore, it has not been necessary to seek alternative sources or terminate a contract.
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iv)
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Grievance Mechanism |
The Company is committed to creating an
environment that fosters open communication. The Company has well-established grievance mechanisms through which both employees and suppliers can report violations of the law or Company policies. For employees, the Company has created the
Worldwide Business Conduct Manual Helpline (the “Helpline”), which is staffed by an independent third party and provides an anonymous way to report concerns about potential violations 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For suppliers, the Company
encourages them to report any ethical concerns or policy violations, as outlined at http://www.pgsupplier.com/en/pg-values/report-a-concern.shtml. This reporting mechanism is operated by a third-party supplier to help ensure anonymity.
To date, the Company has received no reports through either mechanism indicating any potential concerns with
our Conflict Minerals Policy, our 3TG sourcing, or our Conflict Minerals Program.
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v)
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Maintenance of Records
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The Company has adopted a policy to maintain relevant documentation.
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c)
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Identify and Assess Risks in the Supply Chain
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For 2018, we conducted a review of our
direct suppliers to identify suppliers of components and materials used in products within the scope of the Rule. As a result of this review, we determined that, for 2018, there were 48 direct suppliers within the scope of the Rule.
The breadth and complexity of our supply chain creates a challenge in identifying all parties who are upstream
from our direct suppliers. Therefore, we must rely on our direct suppliers to provide information on the source and chain of custody of the 3TG contained in components and materials supplied to us, including sources of 3TG that are supplied to
them from smelters further upstream in the supply chain.
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3.
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Due Diligence
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Our due diligence measures have been designed to conform, in all material respects, with the portions of the
OECD Guidance applicable to a “downstream company.”
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a)
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Survey Requests
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The Company has conducted a survey of its in-scope suppliers using the RBA-GeSI Template, representing direct
suppliers that we determined potentially supplied components or materials containing 3TG. The Template was developed by RBA and GeSI to facilitate disclosure and communication of information regarding a company’s supply chain and includes
questions regarding the supplier’s conflict-free policy, the recipient’s engagement with its direct suppliers, and the smelters from which the suppliers (and its suppliers) source minerals. In addition, the Template contains questions about
the origin of any 3TG provided by the supplier, as well as the supplier’s due diligence. Written instructions and recorded training illustrating the use of the tool are available on the RBA website.
In 2018, we asked the in-scope suppliers reporting less than 100% diligence to provide any updates or changes
to the Template or information submitted outside the Template. For suppliers that reported supplying more than one mineral at a “Company” level without specifying which minerals were actually supplied to P&G, we asked for more information
to try to determine which specific mineral was supplied for P&G products.
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b)
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Survey Responses
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The Company has received Templates or updated information from all the suppliers surveyed. Members of the Core
Team have reviewed these responses for completeness and to determine if any potential red flags were present, in accordance with the requirements of our Conflict Minerals Program, and followed up as needed with suppliers to clarify responses.
Our responses included varying degrees of information regarding the names and locations of 3TG smelters from
which each supplier sourced minerals, and whether these smelters supplied minerals that were actually used in components supplied to the Company. Some suppliers included smelter data for 3TG that we know is contained in components and
materials supplied to us. For this group of 72 smelters, which we refer to as the “known smelters” in our supply chain, we analyzed and compared the smelters against the list of facilities that have received a “conformant” designation through
the RMI’s Responsible Minerals Assurance Process (“RMAP”) as of March 29, 2019. Of these 72 smelters, 63 are certified as conformant with RMAP by RMI. These conformant known smelters are listed in Attachment A. While we have no indication
that any of our remaining suppliers are sourcing from any smelters that source from the Covered Countries, we have insufficient data at this time to validate the status of any other smelters or refiners.
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c)
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Reporting
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The Company has filed this Conflict Minerals Report for 2018 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
We have also made this report available on our website at http://us.pg.com/sustainability/community-impact/policies-practices/conflict-materials.
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4.
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Our Efforts to Determine the Mine or Location of Origin with Greatest Possible Specificity
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As a downstream company, we rely upon our suppliers and independent assessment programs to provide upstream
information such as whether the mine or location of origin is in a Covered Country, and whether smelters sourcing from Covered Countries have employed policies, practices and procedures to source these minerals in a manner that is conflict
free. RMI has developed an audit protocol for verification of entities as conformant with the RMAP in accordance with the OECD Guidance and in conjunction with complementary traceability schemes in the Covered Countries. The RMAP conformant
list is composed of entities that have undergone the third-party audit of the smelters' company-level management processes for responsible mineral procurement.
Our efforts to determine the mine or location of origin of necessary Conflict Minerals with the greatest
possible specificity consisted primarily of a review of whether our suppliers reported that the smelters in their supply chain sourced their minerals from the Covered Countries. Where the supplier reported that a smelter may have sourced
minerals from a Covered Country, we compared the list of smelters to the RMAP conformant smelter list. All known smelters that were reported by our suppliers as sourcing from a Covered Country appear on the RMAP conformant list.
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5.
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Steps to Mitigate Risk
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The Company will continue to work to improve its Conflict Minerals due diligence process. To further mitigate
the risk that any Conflict Minerals in our products finance or benefit armed groups, we are making the following commitments:
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a)
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As a Company, we will engage in continued supplier engagement to increase the number and quality of supplier responses;
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b)
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When we become aware of a supplier that is not in compliance with our Conflict Minerals Policy, we will engage with the supplier for a remedy and, where necessary,
find an alternative source of 3TG; and
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c)
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We will continue to engage with relevant trade associations/industry initiatives to help improve supply chain diligence best practices consistent with OECD Guidance.
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ATTACHMENT A
RMAP Conformant Smelters
RMAP Conformant Smelters
The following facilities have been reported to us by our suppliers as part of their supply chain for components
and materials known to contain Conflict Minerals. Each is listed by RMI as a conformant smelter or refiner. The facility names are listed as they appear on the RMI smelter list.
Gold
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Asahi Pretec Corporation
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Heraeus Hong Kong Ltd.
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Nihon Material Co., Ltd.
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Asahi Refining USA Inc.
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Matsuda Sangyo Co., Ltd.
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Shandong Zhaojin Gold & Silver Refinery Co., Ltd.
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Eco-System Recycling Co., Ltd.
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Metalor Technologies (Singapore) Pte., Ltd.
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Tanaka Kikinzoku Kogyo K.K.
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Heraeus Precious Metals GmbH & Co. KG
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Mitsubishi Materials Corporation
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Western Australia Mint (T/a The Perth Mint)
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Tin
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Alpha
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O.M. Manufacturing Philippines, Inc.
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PT Refined Bangka Tin
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China Tin Group, Co., Ltd.
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Operaciones Metalurgical S.A.
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PT Sariwiguna Binasentosa
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CV Ayi Jaya
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PT Aries Kencana Sejahtera
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PT Stanindo Inti Perkasa
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CV United Smelting
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PT Artha Cipta Langgeng
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PT Sukses Inti Makmur
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CV Venus Inti Perkasa
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PT ATD Makmur Mandiri Jaya
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PT Sumber Jaya Indah
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EM Vinto
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PT Babel Inti Perkasa
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PT Timah (Persero) Tbk Kundur
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Fenix Metals
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PT Bangka Prima Tin
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PT Timah (Persero) Tbk Mentok
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Gejiu Jinye Mineral Company
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PT Bangka Tin Industry
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PT Tinindo Inter Nusa
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Gejiu Non-Ferrous Metal Processing Co., Ltd.
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PT Belitung Industri Sejahtera
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Resind Industria e Comercio Ltda.
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Huichang Jinshunda Tin Co, Ltd.
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PT Bukit Timah
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Rui Da Hung
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| Magnu’s Minerais Metais e Ligas Ltda. | PT DS Jaya Abadi | Soft Metais Ltda. |
| Malaysia Smelting Corporation (MSC) | PT Eunindo Usaha Mandiri | Thaisarco |
| Melt Metais e Ligas S/A | PT Inti Stania Prima | White Solder Metalurgia e Mineracao Ltda. |
| Metallo Belgium N.V. |
PT Karimun Mining
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Yunnan Chengfeng Non-Ferrous Metals Co, Ltd. |
| Mineração Taboca S.A. | PT Menara Cipta Mulia | Yunnan Tin Company Ltd. |
| Minsur |
PT Mitra Stania Prima
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| Mitsubishi Materials Corporation | PT Panca Mega Persada | |
| O.M. Manufacturing (Thailand) Co., Ltd. | PT Prima Timah Utama |