Amid growing global scrutiny of human rights issues in relation to supply chains, prominent Japanese companies including Mitsubishi Electric, Toshiba, Yamaha and Kirin have signed up for a platform designed to address such concerns in Japan and overseas.
Designed by the Japan Center for Engagement and Remedy on Business and Human Rights (JaCER) and launched late last year, the platform allows for allegations of human rights violations to be filed against member companies through an online process. In February, JaCER released its first grievance list, which included an overseas complaint from a worker at a Japanese company’s China operation.
The U.N. Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights state that grievance mechanisms should be in place in order to address claims of abuse and protect individuals, but lawyer and JaCER Representative Director Sakon Kuramoto said that in Japan, few companies had established such tools.