Respect for Human Rights
Human Rights Policy
(Excerpt: Please click here to see the Group's "Human Rights Policy".)
(Stipulated on December 1, 2021)
(Revised on April 1, 2024)
- Respect for International Human Rights Norms
- Governance and Promotion Structure
- Human Rights Due Diligence
- Stakeholder Engagement
- Grievance Mechanisms
- Training and Awareness-Raising
- Reporting and Disclosure
- Commitment to Human Rights Issues
Prohibition of Forced Labor and Human Trafficking / Prohibition of Child Labor / Prohibition of Discrimination / Prohibition of Harassment / Promotion of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion / Respect for Freedom of Association and the Right to Collective Bargaining / Working Hours and Wages / Occupational Safety and Health / Respect for Privacy / Impact on Local Communities / Responsible Procurement of Raw Materials and Minerals / High Risk Circumstances
In developing our businesses globally, we believe that it is essential not only to comply with the laws and regulations of each country, but also to respect international human rights standards. For this reason, the Mitsubishi Materials Group established the Human Rights Subcommittee under the Sustainable Management Office (now known as the SCQ Promotion Office) in July 2021, and that December established a Human Rights Policy in compliance with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. This Policy applies to all officers and employees of the Mitsubishi Materials Group. We also expect the Group's business partners to support and practice this Policy and aim to promote respect for human rights together with them. Our initiatives to respect human rights are periodically reported to the Executive Officers’ Meeting and the Board of Directors via the SCQ Promotion Office.
Initiatives for Human Rights
To prevent or mitigate the negative impacts its business activities have on human rights initiatives, the Mitsubishi Materials Group drives human rights due diligence within Group companies in Japan and overseas as we seek to reduce human rights risks. We also drive collaborative initiatives with our business partners. We have established a PDCA cycle to identify and review assumed risks based on the results of fact-finding surveys on human rights issues, and continually implement it. We will further instill it internally through human rights awareness training and other measures.
Since the fiscal year ended March 2023, we have been working on the following three items in accordance with the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights in order to identify, mitigate and prevent the negative impacts our business activities have on human rights, and to take responsibility for how to address those issues.
- Dissemination of commitment to human rights policy
- Implementing human rights due diligence
- Remedial action (processes that enable remedial action for negative impact on human rights caused or promoted by businesses)
- Commitment under the Policy
- We have signed the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), and also take part in Global Compact Network Japan (GCNJ), the local network of UNGC in Japan. We participate in GCNJ activities related to our business, gather relevant information and utilize it in the formulation of measures related to human rights.
Additionally, in the fiscal year ended March 2024 we conducted training on “Business and Human Rights” and the Group Human Rights Policy formulated on that basis. Videos for training purposes have been released on the Company intranet.
In compliance training conducted for managers at our overseas sites, we also raised human rights issues and incorporated related discussions into the curriculum. Furthermore, in training for corporate officers, we began to educate on human rights in the fiscal year ended March 2022.
- Implementing Human Rights Due Diligence
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- The Group began establishing a human rights due diligence system in the fiscal year ended March 2023. In the fiscal year ended March 2024, we distributed the SAQ to a total of 105 sites, including Company sites and Group companies, to identify human rights risks by analyzing SAQ responses.
Analysis revealed that there were several locations where harassment had occurred in the previous five years, and there was a lack of commitment to prohibiting discrimination in the hiring process, so we identified “harassment” and “discrimination in the hiring process” as human rights risks for the Group. To make further improvements, we are further strengthening awareness and educational activities regarding harassment prevention and promoting reforms in our organizational culture. We are also considering the creation and disclosure of policies to prohibit discrimination in the hiring process.
To continue our efforts in human rights due diligence in the future, we have formulated the Mitsubishi Materials Group SAQ Operation Manual, which contains the knowledge we have gained from past initiatives, covering everything from human rights risk assessment and identification to follow-up procedure and how to formulate and implement improvement plans.
- Human rights due diligence in the supply chain
See Responsibility throughout the Value Chain - Responsible Procurement of Raw Materials in the Sustainability Report
- Remedial Measures
- For employees of the Group, we have established reporting and consultation offices in Japan, and also field consultations regarding human rights. Our reporting and consultation offices began to comply with the revised Whistleblower Protection Act in June 2022, developing systems to strictly guarantee confidentiality and implement remedial measures. We also raise awareness through training and other measures in an effort to improve the effectiveness of these systems.
We have set up a contact to receive inquiries regarding human rights from outside the Group on our corporate website, and we are considering enhancements to further expand the functionality of contact points in the future.
Statement Regarding Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking
In accordance with the Modern Slavery Act, which came into effect in the United Kingdom in July 2015 and in Canada in January 2024, we have issued a statement regarding our initiatives in the fiscal year ended March 2024 to prevent forced and child labor in our operations and suppliers.
The statement under the UK Modern Slavery Act 2015 also includes reports on our Group companies, Luvata Oy and MMC Hardmetal U.K. Ltd.
■ Statement to the UK Modern Slavery Act 2015
■ Report pursuant to the Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act CA