Recognizing that our business may directly or indirectly affect human rights, the Group has established The Nisshin OilliO Group Human Rights Policy to respect the human rights of all people involved in our business, and in line with the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, we will promote Groupwide efforts to respect human rights.
The Group respects human rights as defined in the International Bill of Human Rights, the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, and the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. Where there is conflict between internationally recognized human rights and local laws, we will seek ways to maximize respect for the principles of international human rights.
We have formed a Management Sustainability Committee chaired by the Representative Director and President and comprising mainly Directors. The committee deliberates on efforts to respect human rights from various perspectives and reports the results to the Board of Directors.
In accordance with the process advocated in the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry’s Guidelines on Respecting Human Rights in Responsible Supply Chains, and other publications, the Group identifies and assesses the negative impacts of its business operations on human rights and implements human rights due diligence efforts aimed at reducing human rights risks while receiving advice from outside experts.
In fiscal 2022, we created a Self Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) with reference to the ILO Declaration, UN Global Compact standards, ETI Base Code, and the like and administered it to domestic and overseas Group companies to identify potential human rights issues within the Group. We used the results to classify the Group’s business areas (including suppliers) into the agricultural, general manufacturing, and non-manufacturing sectors, and sorted and analyzed human rights risks corresponding to each of the internationally required human rights based on severity and likelihood of occurrence. We have also formulated a roadmap to ensure the integrity of our efforts to address human rights issues.
As of fiscal 2023, we are dedicated to advancing our human rights due diligence efforts and ensuring that Group companies take the proper steps to address any identified human rights issues. We will also establish and implement methods of SAQ and onsite supplier audits in addition to strengthening traceability for suppliers of raw materials.
In accordance with the Group’s Palm Oil Procurement Policy, the Company and Intercontinental Specialty Fats Sdn. Bhd. (Malaysia) operate a grievance hotline and disclose the information we receive from this hotline online.
Grievance handling
Intercontinental Specialty Fats Sdn. Bhd.
We plan to develop a grievance hotline to receive complaints regarding human rights from a wide range of stakeholders beyond transactions involving palm oil.
The Group has also established The Nisshin OilliO Group Corporate Ethics Hotline for whistleblowing and other internal reporting systems. The hotline also covers requests for consultation and reports regarding human rights.
The Group will institutionalize our human rights policy and our approach to respecting human rights to our management and employees through training, briefings, and other means.
In fiscal 2022, to promote Groupwide efforts, we held a briefing on the Group’s approach to respecting human rights for representatives and people in charge of and responsible for practical operations at Group companies. Looking ahead, we are considering positioning human rights as part of the fundamental education in our human resources system in the context of employee education programs.
To ensure that the Group remains trusted by all stakeholders, we will promote dialogue with stakeholders and connect their recommendations to future activities to address human rights issues.
