Respecting Human Rights

Materiality 7

Reason for Prioritization

As companies do business in a more globalized way, the potential that they infringe on human rights increases day by day, and companies are now required to take action to minimize and prevent these infringements. Companies must also work to ensure that human rights are respected for all stakeholders, including those in the supply chain and their employees, in their business activities.

Commitment

As an organization doing business on a global scale, the Nikon Group is profoundly aware of the importance of respecting human rights in its business activities. We recognize that one of our significant responsibilities to society is addressing human rights issues with sincerity. In accordance with the Nikon Human Rights Policy and with respect to the seven human rights issues specified in this policy, we will implement human rights due diligence steadily based on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and advance initiatives to respect the human rights of all people involved in our business activities, including those in the supply chain, as well as constantly inspect for new risks. We will also foster a corporate culture that respects human rights so that all employees of the Nikon Group will conduct their business activities with integrity and respect human rights in accordance with this policy and relevant laws and regulations.

Goal

Vision Minimizing human rights risks throughout the value chain
Strategy Spreading awareness of human rights via the Nikon Human Rights Policy and conducting human rights due diligence
Indicator: Goal (achievement year)
  • Level of awareness of human rights policy: 100% (FY2030)
  • Conformity rate of RBA Code of Conduct: 90% or more (FY2025)
  • *Scope: Nikon Group manufacturing facilities.

Basic Approach

In our business activities, the Nikon Group is directly and indirectly involved in the human rights of a variety of stakeholders. It is for this reason that our stance, which emphasizes respect for the human rights of all these people, is clearly enunciated in "2. Respect for Human Rights" of the Nikon Code of Conduct. Furthermore, we have established our Nikon Human Rights Policy in order to clearly show how we address human rights issues related to our business activities under our Code of Conduct. The Nikon Human Rights Policy sets forth fundamental principles for us to practice in line with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, which were adopted by the United Nations in 2011. The policy was created through internal discussions with major relevant departments and incorporating advice from external experts, and was established after approval by the Board of Directors.

System

In the Nikon Group, the Nikon Human Rights Policy is implemented under the supervision of Nikon’s Sustainability Committee, which includes several members of the Nikon Board of Directors. Instructions from the Sustainability Committee are handled by the Corporate Sustainability Department, which functions as the secretariat for the Corporate Sustainability Department, together with related departments and committees. In the case that an emerging issue is identified, we will enhance our organizational framework and systems as necessary by consulting these departments and other appropriate departments as necessary.
With the Nikon Group, we have reporting and consulting systems in place by company or by region. Any Group employee can use these systems to report violations of the Nikon Code of Conduct (including issues related to human rights). For external stakeholders, we have several channels of inquiry, including contact points for suppliers and customer support, a hotline dedicated to conflict minerals issues, etc.

Fiscal Year 2022 Goals and Results

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Goals for Fiscal Year 2022 Results for Fiscal Year 2022
Conduct risk assessments from both business and corporate perspectives as part of human rights due diligence New business areas: Conducted interviews and feedback on business activities and their risks
Corporate divisions: Developed an improvement plan to address the findings of the RBA VAP audit
Continue to educate all employees on human rights Implemented human rights education for employees as planned
Offered human rights e-learning to all employees in Japan, with a 92% participation rate
Education on respect for human rights related to communication Implemented an educational event on the theme of Communications with an Inclusive Perspective of Human Rights Handbook
Implemented education on the handbook through human rights e-learning
Educate related department employees on the RBA Code of Conduct All eligible employees received training on the RBA Code of Conduct
Conduct self-checks at each Nikon plant and Group manufacturing companies in Japan and outside Japan Conducted self-checks and analyzed results for target plants and Group manufacturing companies in Japan and outside Japan

Compliance with the UK Modern Slavery Act

The Nikon Group has released a statement on its website in accordance with UK Modern Slavery Act (enacted in 2015).

Sustainability Report

For more information, refer to Respecting Human Rights in the Sustainability Report.

Human Rights Initiatives

  • Basic Approach
  • System
  • Initiatives for Preventing Human Rights Violations
  • Human Rights Training
  • Compliance with the UK Modern Slavery Act
  • Labor Relations