1. HOME
  2. Sustainability
  3. Social Report
  4. Human Rights Efforts

Human Rights Efforts

As the Kureha Group engages in corporate activities in many countries and regions, we view the consideration of human rights in accordance with international standards as a material issue in our sustainability management. The Kureha Group Charter of Corporate Behavior states, "We respect the human rights of all people affected by our corporate activities." In every scenario, we conduct our corporate activities with respect for the human rights of all stakeholders.

Human Rights Policy

On April 1, 2023, based on international standards such as the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights approved by the United Nations in 2011 and on input from outside experts, the Kureha Group established its Group Human Rights Policy.
Under this policy, the Kureha Group will undertake assured human rights due diligence and will advance initiatives aimed at ensuring respect for the human rights of all stakeholders in our own corporate activities and business relationships.

Kureha Group Human Rights Policy

As stated in our corporate philosophy, "we treasure people and the natural environment." The Kureha Group is committed to respect for human rights in our business activities and our business relationships.
To further promote Group-wide efforts to respect human rights, we have established the Kureha Group Human Rights Policy, based on the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (hereinafter referred to as the "Guiding Principles") and it has been approved by the Board of Directors of Kureha Corporation.
Based on this policy, we will advance respect for internationally recognized human rights while collaborating and cooperating with stakeholders.


1. Basic philosophy
The Kureha Group understands the businesses may directly and indirectly impact on human rights. We respect the human rights* set forth in the United Nations International Bill of Human Rights and the International Labour Organization (ILO) Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.

  • *These human rights include freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining, the elimination of all forms of forced or compulsory labor, the effective abolition of child labor, the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation, and a safe and healthy working environment, as set forth in core labor standards of the ILO.

2. Scope of application
This policy applies to all officers and employees (including non-regular employees) who work for the Kureha Group. We expect all our business partners, including partners in the value chain, to understand and support this policy and to respect human rights.

3. Our responsibility to respect human rights
By avoiding involvement in adverse human rights impacts through our own activities or business relationships and by taking appropriate measures to remediate any adverse human rights impacts that we identify we have caused or contributed to in line with the "Guiding Principles," we will fulfill our responsibility to respect human rights and will build responsible value chains.

4. Respect for human rights through our business activities
The Kureha Group will address human rights issues, including the following.


  • We respect the basic rights of workers, including the freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining.
  • We promote the improvement and enhancement of occupational health and safety in order to ensure safety.
  • We comply with the laws and regulations of the countries and regions in which we engage in business, manage employees' working hours properly, and pay appropriate wages and benefits.
  • We prohibit any form of discrimination or harassment.
  • We prohibit child labor, unfair low-wage labor, or modern slavery including forced labor, human trafficking or the employment of workers under the age of 18 (young workers) for working at night, overtime, or in jobs that endanger their health or safety.
  • We respect privacy and handle personal information properly in compliance with relevant laws and regulations.
  • We respect the human rights, including the safety and health, of local communities.

We will seek, on a priority basis, to prevent and mitigate actual and potential adverse human rights impacts that are most severe or where delayed response would make them irremediable.

5. Education
The Kureha Group will conduct education for all officers and employees (including non-regular employees) to ensure that this policy is incorporated into all business activities and is embedded effectively.

6. Human rights due diligence
Based on the "Guiding Principles," the Kureha Group will establish a system of human rights due diligence, will identify any adverse human rights impacts that may be imposed through our business activities and our business relationships, and will construct continuous processes for the prevention and mitigation of such impacts.

7. Remediation
If the Kureha Group identifies that it has caused or contributed to adverse human rights impacts through our business activities or our business relationships, we will address the remediation of such impacts through legitimate processes.
If adverse human rights impacts in the value chain are found directly linked to our operations, or products or services by our business relationships, we will cooperate with our business partners and seek to prevent or mitigate the impacts.
We will provide an effective grievance mechanism for individuals and communities who may be subject to adverse human rights impacts in our business activities and business relationships.

8. Dialogue with stakeholders
In order to implement this policy, the Kureha Group will engage in sincere dialogue and consultation with our stakeholders including customers, business partners such as suppliers, shareholders and investors, employees, internal and external expertise, local communities, and rights holders who may be affected by our business activities.

9. Information disclosure
Through our website and other means, the Kureha Group will disclose information on the progress of our efforts toward respect for human rights under this policy.

10. Applicable law
The Kureha Group complies with applicable laws and regulations in the countries and regions in which we engage in business activities.
When the laws and regulations of countries and regions differ from international norms, we will comply with the laws and regulations of the countries and regions while pursuing ways to respect international standards for human rights.

Established on April 1, 2023

Yutaka Kobayashi

Yutaka Kobayashi
KUREHA CORPORATION
President & Chief Executive Officer

Goals and Vision

  • Follow and comply with the Kureha Group Ethical Charter throughout the Group.

Fiscal Year 2022 Plan

  • Implement compliance education for new employees upon joining the Company.

FY2022 Performance and Outcomes

  • Implemented compliance education for new employees, including education on respect for human rights, and promoted understanding of Kureha's compliance system and approach to respect for human rights. (Number of participants: 65; coverage: all new Kureha employees, including mid-career hires; coverage rate: 100%).
  • Explained the topic of business and human rights at a CSR briefing for Kureha employees and promoted understanding of our approach to respect for human rights. (Number of participants: 1,008; coverage: Kureha employees; coverage rate: 60%).

Management System

Based on the Kureha Group Human Rights Policy, we established a Human Rights Subcommittee as a body under the Sustainability Coordination Committee that was established in April 2023. A director or vice president serves as the chair of the Sustainability Coordination Committee. Departments of the Company with connections to human rights participate in the Human Rights Subcommittee, which oversees human rights due diligence and other initiatives aimed at respect for human rights, formulates annual plans, and manages progress of the plans. Progress and outcomes are reported to the Sustainability Coordination Committee, under appropriate supervision by top management.

Human Rights Due Diligence

Human rights due diligence refers to the series of actions by which a company identifies, prevents, and mitigates adverse impacts on human rights within the company, group companies, suppliers, and other parties, evaluates the effectiveness of efforts, and explains and discloses information on methods for dealing with adverse impacts.

Overall Picture of Corporate Human Rights Efforts

Overall Picture of Corporate Human Rights Efforts
  • *Adapted by Kureha from the "Handbook for Management that Respects Human Rights," Japan Business Federation (Keidanren)

In fiscal 2022, with reference to materials from government bodies, international organizations, and other sources, we conducted an analysis of the potential for adverse impacts on human rights (human rights risks) in connection with the Kureha Group's business activities, and selected material human rights issues. To assess the current state of human rights in the Kureha Group and our related initiatives, we conducted a questionnaire-based survey of our entire Group (Kureha and 28 consolidated subsidiaries), following international human rights standards.
Since 2017, Kureha has also conducted ongoing questionnaire-based surveys of our business partners to assess their understanding of CSR issues, including human rights and labor, and to assess risks related to CSR. Through these surveys, we are working to better understand human rights risks in the supply chain and to further our communication with business partners with the aim of reducing risks.

Purchasing and Procurement

From fiscal 2023, we will undertake full-fledged activities in line with our human rights due diligence process, acting under the structure that we established on the basis of the new Kureha Group Human Rights Policy.

Education

The Kureha Group has created a Compliance Code of Conduct manual. Referencing concrete cases involving violations of compliance and of human rights, we are working to deepen understanding of these issues throughout the Group. We are also making active use of e-learning to deepen understanding of human rights, including concepts of internationally proclaimed human rights.

Education for Staff and Exchanges of Ideas with Experts

To boost the effectiveness of our initiatives aimed at respect for human rights, in fiscal 2022 we held exchanges of ideas with experts on topics including human rights policy proposals, and made the training below a part of our human rights training for staff.
・ Training
Business and Human Rights Academy/Human Rights Due Diligence Training conducted by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
・ Exchanges of ideas with outside experts
Business and Human Rights Academy/Individual Guidance Sessions with domestic and overseas experts conducted by the UNDP

Employee Education

With the aim of effectively establishing the Kureha Group Human Rights Policy and incorporating it into all of our corporate activities, we will expand employee training on human rights throughout the Kureha Group.

Grievance Mechanism

The Kureha Group has established a consultation desk (i.e., hotline) for use in making reports or requesting counsel when an employee has become aware of problematic behavior, has doubts, or is unsure of judgment calls involving compliance. This hotline covers human rights-related matters as well. To encourage use of the hotline, we have set up an external consultation desk staffed by attorneys and a special harassment desk staffed by female counselors. Our regulations prohibit any unfair treatment of persons who use the hotline for reporting or counseling.
In fiscal 2022, no cases of discrimination or significant adverse impacts on human rights related to the business continuity of the Kureha Group were confirmed through the above hotline.
Among human rights issues that did not go through the hotline, too, there were no confirmed cases of significant adverse impacts on human rights.

Other Efforts

Respect for Human Rights through Responsible Procurement

To avoid any complicity in conflicts or human rights violations in the sourcing of raw materials, Kureha cooperates with business partners in conducting surveys of responsible mineral sourcing and surveys of procurement from high-risk areas.

Responsible Mineral Sourcing

Conflict minerals (gold, tin, tantalum, and tungsten) provide sources of funds for armed groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and neighboring countries, creating international problems by contributing to environmental destruction and to conflicts and human rights violations. Similar problems have been noted with cobalt produced in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and a new need has arisen to address the involvement of child labor in mica mining in India and Madagascar.
Kureha recognizes the problems surrounding these minerals, including cobalt and mica, as material issues that involve human rights. We conduct surveys and share information with business partners to ensure that we avoid raw materials made using target minerals from smelters, refiners, and producers that do not possess Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI)* verification.
In fiscal 2022, as a result of surveys tracing the supply chain, no use of target minerals through non-RMI-certified business operators was identified for products manufactured and sold by Kureha.

  • *Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI): An organization that leads initiatives related to responsible mineral sourcing. Over 400 companies and organizations around the world take part in the initiative.

Forced Labor Prevention

In the U.S., the "Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act" came into effect on June 21, 2022, which in principle bans imports of products involving the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region unless companies can provide clear evidence that the products were not produced using forced labor.
Kureha recognizes this issue as one involving human rights, in the same manner as problems surrounding conflict minerals. We conduct surveys and share information with business partners to ascertain that the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region is not involved in products that Kureha manufactures and sells.
In fiscal 2022, our surveys did not confirmed any products for which procurement of raw materials or manufacturing in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region is suspected.