Respect for Human Rights
As a general trading company developing business around the world, Sojitz is involved in a wide variety of supply chains. This means that one of the biggest challenges for Sojitz Group is figuring out how work together with suppliers to reduce environmental and social (human rights) risk within our supply chains.
We establish the following Sojitz Group Human Rights Policy in striving to further honor the Key Sustainability Issue (Materiality) of "Respect the human rights of people involved in our businesses".
Sojitz Group is working on initiatives based on respect for human rights within our business operations. We uphold the International Bill of Human Rights and the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, and act in accordance with United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
Sojitz Group Human Rights Policy
- 1.Our commitment to respect human rights
- 2.Our people
- 3.Conducting human rights due diligence
- 4.Specific Issues
- 5.Our Business Partners
The Sojitz Group strives to create value
and prosperity by connecting the world with a spirit of integrity.
We believe that respect for human rights is an integral foundation
for creating what we call “Two Types of Value” —value for both
our company and society — and for meeting the expectations of
our stakeholders.
As a general trading company, the Sojitz Group buys, sells,
and trades goods from all over the world, provides manufacturing
and sales services for a wide range of products, plans and coordinates
various projects, invests in a multitude of business fields
and conducts financial activities. In undertaking these business
activities, we recognize our responsibility to avoid causing
or contributing to adverse human rights impacts and to seek
to prevent or mitigate adverse impacts to which we are directly
linked. We commit to respecting human rights as set out in the
International Bill of Human Rights and the International Labour
Organization’s (ILO) Declaration on Fundamental Principles and
Rights at Work, and to carry out our business in accordance
with the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human
Rights.
The Sojitz Group - in accordance with international human rights standards as well as its Group Statement - is committed to promoting, among the executives, staff and employees of Sojitz Group, the prohibition of discrimination, respect for diversity (including with respect to race, nationality, ethnic origin, beliefs, gender, social status, religion, age, mental and physical disability, and sexual orientation), as well as responsible labor practices including prohibition of child or forced labor, prevention of corruption, provision of a safe labor environment, payment of minimum wage and ensuring appropriate working hours. The Group supports freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining.
The Sojitz Group is committed to assessing
actual and potential adverse impacts on the human rights of
our stakeholders in accordance with the United Nations Guiding
Principles on Business and Human Rights. We will strive to prevent,
mitigate and account for adverse impacts. Where it is necessary
to prioritize our actions, we will prioritize action to address
the most salient potential risks to our stakeholders.
The Sojitz Group shall comply with local laws and regulations
in conducting its business activities. Where laws or regulations
in a country conflict with international human rights norms,
the Group will seek ways to honor international human rights
standards. In making decisions on responses to be taken, we
will seek opinions from credible third parties.
The Sojitz Group recognizes the importance of dialogue with
our employees, workers and external stakeholders who are or
could potentially be affected by our actions, and we are committed
to engaging in such dialogue with stakeholders on human rights
issues related to our business.
Indigenous Peoples: When
undertaking business activities in areas in which indigenous
peoples reside, the Sojitz Group will acknowledge the unique
culture and history of indigenous peoples and show consideration
for their rights as set out in both local and national laws
as well as in international standards such as the United Nations
Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and ILO Convention
No. 169.
Employment of security companies: To avoid
complicity in human rights abuses committed by security providers,
the Sojitz Group supports the Voluntary Principles on Security
and Human Rights (VPSHR), which guide companies in how to operate
within a framework that ensures respect for human rights and
fundamental freedoms.
The business activities of the Sojitz
Group are possible due to the cooperation of various stakeholders
including suppliers and other business partners. For the Group
to meet our responsibility to respect human rights, their understanding
and cooperation are indispensable. The Sojitz Group is committed
to working with and encouraging our business partners to uphold
the principles in this Policy.
In the event that we identify an alleged human rights abuse
outside of the Sojitz Group but linked to our business activities,
including in our suppliers and other business partners, upon
confirming the situation the Group will ask relevant parties
such as suppliers and other business partners to take measures
to address the human rights issues.
* For further information on our expectations of our suppliers
and other business partners, including our policy concerning
cases of material breach, see our Sojitz Group CSR Action Guidelines
for Supply Chains.
Established June 2017
Sharing the Policy
In working with Sojitz Group companies and suppliers to reduce environmental and social (human rights) risk, we not only share Sojitz Group's policies and the demands placed on us by international norms like the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights; we believe it is important to link these risks to actual business by presenting case studies as well.
Activities
(1) Human Rights Risk Seminar
In order to share the newly established Human Rights Policy,
we held a Human Rights Risk Seminar in October 2017, focusing on human
rights due diligence. A total 78 people attended, comprising Sojitz
Corporation COOs/General Managers and the presidents of 14 Sojitz Group
companies.
The seminar aimed to foster awareness of human rights issues, to inspire greater efforts to address human rights in the future. We shared information on global trends, such as how human rights due diligence has become more and more of a factor in determining business competitiveness around the world following the advent of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, as well as explained how alongside the growth of ESG investment, a company's decision to conduct human rights due diligence has become another indicator by which investors assess corporate sustainability.
(2) e-learning
We regularly conduct e-learning on changes in social trends related
to sustainbility and the response to environmental and human rights
issues required of companies today, in order to foster understanding
of sustainability within Sojitz Group. Around 5,000 Sojitz Group members*
worldwide take these e-learnings each time they are made available.
* Employees and officers at Sojitz Corporation, the nine most important
Sojitz Group comapnies, and Sojitz Corporation overseas subsidiaries
(3) Publishing the Sojitz Group Sustainability Handbook
In an effort to build understanding of sustainability within Sojitz Group, we published the Sojitz Group Sustainability Handbook. This handbook provides a summary of Sojitz Group's sustainability-oriented policies and goals, sustainability-related basic information and information about the external environment such as international standards, and concrete, real examples of risks in business and how these risks were addressed.
Related Policies & Initiatives
Sojitz Group CSR Action Guidelines for Supply Chains