HCS STATEMENT OF IMPARTIALITY AND CONFLICT OF INTEREST PROCEDURE

Halal Conformity Services (HCS) acknowledges the need for and the significance of impartiality in carrying out its certification policy.  Bearing in mind this, HCS also goes to great lengths to ensure that potential conflicts of interests are first identified and then avoided to ensure that there is a consideration to impartiality in HCS’s services, certification tasks and overall organisational procedures. HCS also recognizes that in order to safeguard and maintain the wellbeing of this impartiality, there must be obligations to both HCS and its clients.

Consequently, HCS has developed and applied these procedures to safeguard a compliance and management of impartiality that aligns with the requirements of 4.2 of ISO/IEC 17065, clause 5.2: GSO 2055-2, clause 5.2 of OIC/SMIIC 2 and clause 5.2 of UAE.S 2055.

  1. – Halal Conformity Services (HCS) will not receive any financial support or undisclosed sums that are not correlated with the services it provides.
  2. – Halal Conformity Services (HCS) auditors will not own shares or have financial interests in the entity of which they are auditing.
  3. – Halal Conformity Services (HCS) will not be influenced or persuaded by a foreign organisation or government when dealing with its clients in New Zealand.
  4. – Halal Conformity Services (HCS) will not provide services to a particular entity when the relations between that entity and HCS could lead to an impartiality threat.
  5. – Halal Conformity Services (HCS) does not pay, nor receive undisclosed payments to foreign halal organisations or Governments that are not related to contractual services. This will mean that no foreign halal organisation or Government can exert influence on HCS to make it act it their interests.
  6. – Halal Conformity Services (HCS) prevents all employees and staff from any consulting or extra-curricular activities with clients and organisations.
  7. Halal Conformity Services (HCS) will not provide information to any third party when it comes to a matter between clients, unless authorised explicitly. This is in accordance with the HCS contractual engagement and consideration for client privacy.
  8. – Halal Conformity Services (HCS) will consistently monitor impartiality risks and advancement, and will conduct a bi-annual impartiality evaluation to maintain these standards

Important Notes:

– HCS policies and procedures are non-discriminatory, and we allow for anyone to enquire or apply for certification. We view applications in an objective and considerate manner. We will not impede or inhibit access by applicants, other than reasons put out in the Halal standards for which they are applying.
– HCS’ services are accessible to all activities, as long as their activities fall within the Halal scope of operations.
– HCS does not discriminate in its certification process based on the size of the client or membership in a certain association or group. HCS clients range from one of the largest poultry slaughterhouses in the Southern Hemisphere, to small family business food product processors with 3-4 employees. We also don’t discriminate on previous certifications issued to the applicant, and all we require is that they comply with requirements.
– HCS does not discriminate within our scope limits, and only conduct surveillance, enquiries and decisions based on the agreed upon Halal certification scope.

HCS has an impartiality committee in alignment with requirements clause 5.2 of GSO 2055-2, clause 5.2 of OIC/SMIIC , and clause 5.2 of UAE.S 2055- 2. This committee is tasked with safeguarding and ensuring impartiality, while assessing risks and threats.