If, out of curiosity and a desire for knowledge, we look for our definition, the meaning of the term mutuality, we find: an independent entity with its own legal personality, formed by a community of individuals who share assets to cover the risks inherent in working or everyday life. If we continue to investigate further, we find that its essential characteristics are the absence of profit motive, the concept of a company of people and not of capital, as well as the solidarity and participation of its members, whom we call mutualists. This is not a bad start, and in order to know what Mutualidad de la Abogacía really is, it is also necessary to talk about what makes us different: our principles and values.
Both elements, what we are and what moves us, are the common thread that makes the commitment of the Mutualidad de la Abogacía tangible throughout this Code of Ethics and Conduct, a document that inspires and frames our daily activity. In it we assume a series of ethical principles such as the concepts of solidarity, integrity, dignity, excellence, transparency and fairness, which reinforce our responsibility towards the social and environmental surroundings in which we operate. Together with these unshakeable principles, the values of mutuality are the foundations on which the Mutualidad de la Abogacía has been based since its inception.
We have become the leading social welfare institution in Spain with the support of these values and principles, but, above all, thanks to the trust placed in us for decades by more than 200,000 members, who have entrusted us with their resources and their future prospects. Thanks for believing in our work. Trust is earned when you can offer solvency, but also service, peace of mind and maximum personalisation in our relationship with our members.
And this is how we face the window of opportunity provided by technological development and artificial intelligence (AI), with the deepest commitment to ethics and people, with a special focus on our team, our members and public administrations. In this new digital era, also known as the 4th Industrial Revolution, our institution will ensure that all decisions that machines can make for us comply with the principles and values that have accompanied the Mutualidad for more than 70 years. To ensure this commitment, the Artificial Intelligence Ethics Committee has been created, which will seek to guarantee autonomy, technical soundness, privacy, transparency, fairness, welfare and accountability, all concepts that reinforce our mutual spirit.
This guide aims to condense our concerns in terms of good governance, and is a clear commitment to make our organisation more transparent and closer to all its stakeholders. Mutuality would not exist without solidarity and working together, and our organisation is one of the best examples because it combines trust and professionalism, as the two sides of a coin that have contributed to us continuing to grow year after year, making us stronger, but also more aware of our responsibility as an organisation that manages the savings of a large number of legal professionals in our country.
Ethics only makes sense with the commitment and work of all of us who form part of the Mutualidad de la Abogacía, a commitment to which those who trust and collaborate with us are added in order to always offer the best service to our members.
Enrique Sanz Fernández-Lomana
President of Mutualidad