Respect for Human Rights
The Nippon Shokubai Group conducts business activities with respect for human rights as one of the foundations of business continuity. The Group promotes initiatives to respect human rights in line with human rights norms such as the United Nations “International Bill of Human Rights” (consisting of the “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“, the “United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples”, the Ten Principles of the United Nations Global Compact, and the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
In addition, in accordance with the Group’s basic policy on human rights, we will strive to promote understanding of respect for human rights throughout our supply chain to ensure that we are not complicit in human rights violations.
Basic Policy on Human Rights
This Policy has been approved by the TechnoAmenity Promotion Committee (which is chaired by the President and composed of inside Members of the Board and Executive Officers appointed by the President).
1. Respect for human rights
(i) We will respect the human rights of all people and will not engage in any acts of unfair discrimination or any act that offends individual dignity for any reason.
(ii) We will comply with international norms on human rights and the laws and regulations of each country and region to prevent human rights violations. In the unlikely event of a human rights violation, we will respond fairly and appropriately.
(iii) We will recognize the impact of our business activities on human rights and will not provide products, form partnerships, or purchase products or services from companies or organizations that violate human rights or encourage human rights violations.
2. Prohibition of discrimination
Under no circumstances will we discriminate on the basis of gender, age, nationality, race, ethnicity, social status, origin, ideology, creed, religion, physical characteristics, sexual orientation, gender identity, disease, or disability.
3. Respect for basic labor rights
(i) We will respect the right to form or join labor unions and the right to engage in collective bargaining and peaceful assembly in accordance with the relevant laws and regulations of each country and region.
(ii) We will ensure sound employment and labor practices, and will comply with the relevant laws and regulations of each country and region in the treatment of employees, including wages, working hours, and leave.
4. Prohibition of forced labor and child labor
Under no circumstances will we ever engage in forced labor, child labor, slave labor or trafficking, and we will not allow forced labor, child labor, slave labor or trafficking to take place in our supply chain.
5. Prohibition of harassment
Under no circumstances will we engage in discriminatory, threatening or offensive language or behavior, whether mental or physical, toward others, including sexual harassment, abuse of power, or discrimination against women in the workplace based on pregnancy or the birth of a child.
6. Protection of personal information and privacy
We will respect the privacy of individuals and collect personal information only to the extent necessary and appropriate. We will also strictly manage the personal information collected and will not disclose it to any third party or use it for any other purpose, except as permitted by law or with the prior consent of the individual concerned.
7. Respect for diversity
(i) We will create a workplace environment and culture, where everyone respects and recognizes each other’s diversity, and where everyone can play an active role and grow together.
(ii) Each of us, as a professional, will maximize our individuality and abilities, and create new value through the fusion of our strengths.
Management Structure
We consider human rights initiatives as one of our sustainability activities, and the TechnoAmenity promotion committee, chaired by the president, determines policies and strategies and evaluates the performance of initiatives. We will promote initiatives to respect human rights in accordance with the basic human rights policy of our Group.
Human Rights Due Diligence
We have rolled out our initiatives to implement human rights due diligence in accordance with the procedures of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. We have identified potential negative human rights impacts of our business activities by referring to human rights guidance and risk assessments, such as the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) Human Rights Guidance Tool. We also take measures to prevent or reduce the types of negative impact we have identified, depending on the nature of the impact. We will evaluate the effectiveness of measures taken and make improvements when deemed necessary.
In the event that human rights issues are found to have arisen as a result of the Group’s business activities, we will promptly correct and remedy them through appropriate procedures.
Awareness-Raising and Development Activities
With the aim of understanding and practicing respect for human rights, we deal with human rights-related topics in our compliance training, and provide training by job level and in each workplace. We also conduct harassment prevention training for managers on a timely basis. We will continue to provide training on respect for human rights in order to promote and consolidate employee understanding of the issue.
Internal Reporting System
We have established an internal reporting system as part of our practice of corporate ethics and legal compliance. In the event that a fact of human rights violation is revealed through internal reporting, etc., we will promptly take corrective measures. We will also strive to prevent recurrence by reporting to management and disseminating information within the Group.