MITSUISOKO_HOLDINGS

Social

Human Rights

Basic Approach to Human Rights

The MITSUI-SOKO Group considers the protection of the dignity and respect for the rights of all people in society to be an important element underlying all of its business activities. In our efforts, we support and respect international norms on human rights, including the International Bill of Human Rights (Universal Declaration of Human Rights, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights), the International Labour Organization (ILO) Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, and promote them in accordance with the framework of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Specifically, we prohibit child labor and forced labor; respect the right to freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining; observe the minimum wage in each country; protect the right to a living wage, including the promotion of equal pay for equal work; and eliminate all discrimination related to race, nationality, ethnicity (indigenous people), language, gender, and ideology, such as religious belief and sexual orientation. We thereby are committed to respecting the human rights of all our stakeholders, not just our Group's workers.
We comply with all applicable laws and regulations in the countries and regions where we operate. When faced with conflicts between internationally recognized human rights norms and national and local laws and regulations, we will seek ways to maximize respect for internationally recognized human rights norms. As indicated in the MITSUI-SOKO Group Human Rights Policy below, this is the foundation for all of the Group's efforts to respect human rights, and is also the natural premise for individual initiatives to respect human rights, such as the prohibition of child labor and forced labor, and the protection of the right to a living wage.

Formulation of Human Rights Policy

The Group has formulated the MITSUI-SOKO Group Human Rights Policy (hereinafter the "Policy") in compliance with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights as a means of organizing and expressing to society its stance and initiatives regarding respect for human rights not only within the Group but also throughout its supply chain. Based on this Policy, the Group works with various parties to respect the human rights of all stakeholders related to its business activities, fulfills its social mission, and contributes to the realization of a sustainable society. The Policy was developed based on advice from outside experts with expertise and practical experience in human rights, and was approved by the Board of Directors. We will continue to engage in discussions with stakeholders and outside experts on an ongoing basis, and will reflect the results of these conversations in the Policy and respect for human rights initiatives as necessary.
In order to fulfill our responsibility to respect human rights in accordance with this Policy, we implement the Group Basic Procurement Policy to ensure responsible procurement, and also request our partners (including subcontractors and other suppliers) to understand and implement the policy. For details, please refer to the Group Basic Procurement Policy page.

Identification of Key Human Rights Issues

In promoting our commitment to respect for human rights, we have assessed the impact of our business activities on the human rights of our stakeholders, and identified the prohibition of forced labor and child labor, prohibition of all forms of discrimination, prohibition of harassment, provision of a safe working environment, appropriate management of working hours, and guarantee of rights of foreign workers as important human rights issues. The following process is used to identify key human rights issues, and risk assessments are in progress around the identified human rights issues. Since the situation surrounding human rights is constantly changing, we will review the key human rights issues based on continuous research, information gathering, and discussions with stakeholders and external experts.

Process for Identifying Key Human Rights Issues

  • Step1.
    Illustrate the value chain of the Group for each major company and sort out relevant stakeholders and human rights issues.
  • Step2.
    Examine and evaluate the extracted human rights issues qualitatively and quantitatively in terms of both "severity" and "likelihood of occurrence" in consultation with external experts.
  • Step3.
    Identify priority human rights issues to be addressed among those examined and evaluated, taking into account their relevance to us.

Implementation of Human Rights Due Diligence

The Group conducts human rights due diligence in order to fulfill its responsibility to respect human rights. Human rights due diligence is an ongoing process of investigation, remediation, disclosure, and dialogue with stakeholders to identify adverse human rights impacts in business activities and supply chains and to prevent, mitigate, and address them. The Group conducts human rights due diligence on domestic and overseas Group companies and business partners, and strives to resolve human rights issues in conjunction with education and training related to respect for human rights and the establishment of an effective remedy system.
In FY2022, we conducted human rights due diligence on domestic and overseas Group companies (consolidated subsidiaries). As a result, the recent human rights due diligence did not reveal any company with a significantly poor human rights response or any facts that would require immediate stakeholder redress at this time. We also analyzed the results with external experts and confirmed that the six key human rights issues previously identified (1. prohibition of forced labor and child labor, 2. prohibition of all forms of discrimination, 3. prohibition of harassment, 4. provision of a safe working environment, 5. appropriate working hour management, and 6. guarantee of rights of foreign workers) remain important issues for the Group and should continue to be addressed. At the same time, having recognized that there is room for improvement in education and training on human rights issues, we will expand our efforts and strive for more effective human rights education and training for the entire Group. The process and results of promoting human rights due diligence are reported to the Board of Directors.
Countries and areas surveyed Japan, China, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia, USA, Brazil, Mexico, Czech Republic, Hungary, Belgium, Turkey, South Africa
Items surveyed Forced labor, child labor, adequate working hours, adequate wages, prohibition of discrimination, freedom of association and right to collective bargaining, occupational safety, emergency preparedness, occupational accidents and diseases, industrial hygiene, safety measures in the workplace, facility safety and hygiene, worker health care, safety of local residents, effective use of resources and waste management, privacy and personal information Protection, Responsible Procurement, External Expression of Discrimination, Contraband and Trafficking in Persons, Anti-Corruption, and Improper Benefit-Sharing

Remediation

If it becomes clear that the Group has caused, contributed to or is otherwise involved in any adverse human rights impacts, the Group will work to correct and remedy the situation through appropriate means. All employees of the Group (employees, fellows, contract employees, seconded employees, temporary employees, contract employees, and subcontractor employees) have anonymous access to the consultation service in the event of human rights-related concerns, such as harassment and lack of occupational health and safety. We will also establish a contact point to receive feedback from everyone in our supply chain, including our customers and business partners, with the aim of valuing dialogue with all stakeholders.

Education & Training

The Group reflects this Policy in its necessary procedures to ensure that the concept of this Policy takes root throughout its business activities, and provides education and training related to human rights to ensure that the Group's officers and employees have a sufficient understanding of this Policy. In fact, for example, in training related to harassment in the workplace, a theme is determined each year and instructors and employees share their thoughts with each other to deepen understanding. We will continue to further enhance the content of our training programs and strive to resolve human rights issues effectively in conjunction with the establishment of a relief system.