Human Rights
We will prevent and correct human rights issues throughout the value chain and create a safe and secure working environment with our business partners. And we will strive to raise awareness of human rights throughout the Group and promote initiatives to respect the human rights of our employees.
Kirin Group has established a policy on human rights and strives to comply with it.
We ensure that our employees thoroughly understand respect for human rights, and raise awareness of human rights throughout the Group.
Human Rights Awareness and Education
Kirin Group regards respect for human rights as one of its most important management issues. To ensure that Kirin Group Human Rights Policy, which is the Group's commitment to human rights, permeates each and every officer and employee, and to realize a great place to work, we continue to conduct training for officers, training by level, and human rights awareness training for all employees every year.
Group Business and Human Rights Meeting
The Kirin Group positions respect for human rights as a key management priority, based on the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. To advance these efforts, we established the Group Business and Human Rights Meeting in 2021.
This meeting serves as a forum to share the Group’s human rights policies and strategies and to monitor progress. Key departments—including Corporate Strategy, Risk Management, SCM Strategy, Marketing, and People & Culture(HR)—participate across functions, and regular meetings are held twice a year.
Group Domestic Business and Human Rights Promotion Committee
The Kirin Group regards respect for human rights as the foundation of its corporate activities and has established this committee to promote understanding among all employees. The committee is responsible for formulating training policies, developing educational materials, and encouraging participation, thereby continuing efforts to raise human rights awareness across the Group.
Training
To promote understanding and practice of respect for human rights, we conduct annual training by levels, including all employees, new employees, newly appointed executives, and senior management.
- ・Human Rights Awareness Training
- Every October, all employees complete individual online training, and workplaces that wish may also hold group sessions. In 2025, the content includes highly interested areas in the Compliance and Human Rights Awareness Survey, reminders to prevent any recurrence of past discrimination incidents, and emphasized the importance of human rights due diligence and Kirin’s initiatives.
- ・Training for New Employees
- New Employees learn why the Kirin Group is committed to human rights and study our Human Rights Policy.
- ・Training for newly Appointed Managers
- This program emphasizes the importance of respecting diversity and creating a workplace free from discrimination and harassment. It also provides opportunities to learn about human rights issues not only within the company but also across the value chain and surrounding communities, encouraging participants to view human rights as their own responsibility.
- ・Top-Level Management Human Rights Awareness Training
- As a unique initiative among tiered training programs, this session targets Group executives and department heads. External experts are invited to share insights on the latest human rights issues, with the aim of integrating these perspectives into management. In 2025, 160 participants attended a lecture by Yusuke Yukawa, an attorney and head of the Yangon office of an international law firm, on the theme “Considering Business and the Dignity of People.” The session deepened participants’ understanding of the importance of embedding respect for human rights as a foundation of management.
List of Topics and Speakers (last 5 years)
| Year | Topics | Speakers |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Barrier Value ～Turning Barriers into Value～ | Toshiya Kakiuchi, President and CEO of Mirairo Inc. |
| 2022 | Thinking Again about the Significance of Diversity & Inclusion | Atsuko Muraki, Former Vice Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare |
| 2023 | Business and Human Rights ～Corporate Management under Rapid Population Decline and U.S.-China Conflict～ | Shinichi Takasaki, Director of ILO Office in Japan |
| 2024 | Global Trends in Human Rights Initiatives: What Constitutes Responsible and Sustainable Business Activities | Akiko Sato, Lawyer of Kotonoha Sogo Law Office, Business and Human Rights project Liaison Officer of UNDP |
| 2025 | Considering Business and the Dignity of People | Yusuke Yukawa, Attorney-at-Law Partner, Nishimura & Asahi Law Firm / Head of Yangon Office |
Human Rights Awareness Training for Top-level Management in2025
Harassment Elimination Month
Every June, we designate “Harassment Elimination Month.” In addition to a top message from the Group’s Chief People Officer (CPO) on eliminating harassment, all employees take an online “Harassment Training.” Workplaces that wish to do so also conduct group sessions, encouraging open discussions among colleagues to foster a culture that eliminates harassment.
Human Rights Week
Every December in honor of Human Rights Day, we hold “Human Rights Week.” Alongside a top message from the CPO, we hold a Human Rights Awareness Slogan Contest. Not only all employees but also their family members participate in the slogan contest. In 2025, more than 4,500 individuals submitted over 7,200 slogans. The contest provides an opportunity for employees and their family members to deepen their understanding of human rights together.
Compliance and Human Rights Awareness Survey
To verify the effectiveness of human rights initiatives across the Group and its companies, we conduct an annual “Compliance and Human Rights Awareness Survey.” The results are analyzed to identify changes in employee awareness and issues that need to be addressed, which are then reflected in subsequent initiatives.
Human Rights Awareness Training at Group Companies
Collaborating groups in the Human Rights Domain
We collaborate with groups and NPOs on initiatives to promote human rights globally.