Marubeni official website. This page offers you information about our Respect for Human Rights.
The Marubeni Group conducts business from 126 locations*1 domestically and internationally, employing over 50,000 people*2 from a diverse range of nationalities and ethnicities. Moreover, our multi-faceted and global business activities span a wide range of sectors. With a view to contributing to achieving the goals set out in the SDGs and building a sustainable society, we are fully committed to respecting the human rights of stakeholders*3 who are related to the Marubeni Group’s business and to closely monitoring relevant circumstances. As a responsible company, in case of any adverse impacts in human rights terms in connection with the Marubeni Group’s business activities we regard it as an important social responsibility to institute corrective measures to provide redress. By fulfilling this social obligation, we see respect for human rights through our business activities as part of the sustained creation of value.
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In the spirit of the Company Creed of “Fairness, Innovation and Harmony,” the Marubeni Group is proudly committed to promoting social and economic development and safeguarding the global environment through fair and upright corporate activities. We recognize that respecting the human rights of persons affected by our business activities and endeavoring to take responsibility for doing so are of utmost importance, and to this end we have formulated our Basic Policy on Human Rights (“the Policy”), based on the UN’s Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
We support and respect all international rules on human rights, including the UN’s International Bill of Human Rights (Universal Declaration of Human Rights and International Covenant on Human Rights), the ILO’s Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and the 10 Principles of the UN Global Compact.
This Policy applies to all executives and employees of the Marubeni Group. We also ask that stakeholders (vendors, service providers, contractors, third-party manufacturers, joint venture partners, outsourcing partners, customers and other business partners and local communities) and other related parties observe the intent of the Policy and take appropriate action if a negative effect on human rights caused by them is directly related to the business activities of the Marubeni Group.
We will carry out our responsibility to respect human rights by ensuring that we do not violate human rights. If it should come to light that any of our business activities are having a negative impact on human rights, we will take appropriate action to remedy the situation.
We will create and continue using a system for carrying out human rights due diligence.
We will create a system (complaint resolution mechanism) for reporting when our business activities have a negative effect on human rights or we have been involved in human rights violations. If such reports are received, appropriate procedures for redress will be taken once the facts are sufficiently ascertained.
We will engage in sincere dialogue and discussion with relevant stakeholders in order to promote initiatives in line with this Policy.
We will observe the laws and regulations of the countries or regions where we conduct business activities. If national laws are in contradiction with internationally recognized human rights, we will pursue solutions in which we can respect human rights principles.
We will conduct appropriate training and skill development for our executives and employees to ensure that this Policy is understood and effectively put into practice in all our business activities.
We will report on our initiatives, etc. for fulfilling our responsibilities to respect human rights through our official website and other avenues.
The above Policy includes the following policies with regard to those who are especially vulnerable to human rights abuses:
In addition to supporting the Children’s Rights and Business Principles*4, which are intended to protect children’s rights in the course of our business activities, we will undertake social contribution activities to strengthen children’s rights and by so doing will contribute to improving children’s rights.
When conducting our business activities in countries or regions with indigenous peoples, we will acknowledge the native culture and history of indigenous peoples, and we will give due consideration to the laws of the country or region in question and the rights of indigenous peoples set out in international rules.
We are aware of the inherent risk to human rights related to the use of weapons for security. With regard to the use of security services when conducting business activities, we will observe the laws of the countries or regions where we operate, support international rules and related practices and endeavor to respect human rights.
The term “human rights,” as used in the above-mentioned Marubeni Group Basic Policy on Human Rights, includes the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, as specified in Resolution 76/300 adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations: The Human Right to a Clean, Healthy and Sustainable Environment.
In line with our initiatives to contribute toward the realization of a nature positive world, and of a society that lives in harmony with nature, the Marubeni Group respects the human rights of all stakeholders who could be indirectly affected by the impact that our businesses and supply chains can have on nature (particularly those stakeholders who are especially vulnerable to environmental degradation, such as indigenous people, local communities, senior citizens, women (in some regions), people with disabilities, children and young people).
Besides UN Resolution 76/300 referred to above, we also respect and support the standards relating to the human rights of indigenous people and local communities that are reflected in the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Right (UNGPs), the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct (OECD Guidelines), the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP), the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), and the Indigenous and Tribal People’s Convention, 1989 (ILO Convention No. 169), as well as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF).
In particular, we recognize the special importance of stakeholders’ right to accurate, relevant information (including their right to exercise free, prior and informed consent), their right to substantive participation in environment-related decision-making (including the right of indigenous people and local communities to self-determination and the prevention of forced relocation), their right to effective relief measures, and the implementation of engagement (dialogue) to support and realize their enjoyment of these rights, and we aim to expand efforts that prioritize these rights.
Based on the Marubeni Group Basic Policy on Human Rights, the Marubeni Group is working to ensure that the human rights of all Group employees and executives, contractors, business partners and other related parties are respected. Under the leadership of the Sustainability Committee (from April 1, 2026, the name has been changed from the Sustainability Management Committee), which reports to the President directly, and its head (Chief Sustainability Officer, who is Director, Member of the Board, and Representative Executive Officer), the Stakeholder Engagement Department works to promote the consideration and the continuous improvement of human rights throughout the Marubeni Group, in close cooperation with the Sustainability Leaders and Sustainability Managers appointed by each Business Division and Department. The Sustainability Committee submits reports on important matters related to human rights to the Corporate Management Committee and the Board of Directors periodically (once a year as a minimum) in accordance with prescribed procedures. The Board of Directors, by receiving periodic reports on important matters related to human rights deliberated by the committee, oversees important matters related to human rights.
We are continuously working to increase awareness of respect for human rights and enable early detection of, and remediation for, any adverse impacts on human rights, throughout our company and its group companies as well as our business counterparts, including our business partners and contractors, and our supply chain as a whole, based on the “Marubeni Group Basic Policy on Human Rights”, “Basic Supply Chain Sustainability Policy” and “Marubeni Group Basic Policy on Occupational Health and Safety”.
Specifically, we have established our human rights due diligence mechanism based on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the International Labor Organization (ILO) Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work (including the five core labor standards), and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises and Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Business Conduct, ISO 26000, SA 8000, etc. In order to identify areas to be prioritized for investigation, we conducted risk mapping, by considering the sector, product, geographic, and enterprise-level risks and the anticipated potential adverse impacts on human rights (as well as the severity (scale, scope and irremediability) and likelihood of occurrence).
In addition, during the process of establishing our mechanism, through dialogue (engagement) with various stakeholders and external experts (e.g. NGOs working towards respect for human rights, international organizations promoting protection of workers’ rights, experts on human rights, etc.) as well as our internal discussions, we made efforts to identify important and high priority initiatives in order to improve the effectiveness of our human rights due diligence.
In particular, over the last few years, besides addressing the issues of forced labor (including slave labor) and child labor, the Marubeni Group has also been contributing toward realizing a nature-positive world, and implementing initiatives aimed at bringing society into harmony with nature. We recognize the growing importance of processes for monitoring the potential negative impact of business development and operation on the human rights of all stakeholders (particularly those stakeholders who are especially vulnerable to environmental degradation, such as indigenous people, local communities, senior citizens, women (in some regions), people with disabilities, children and young people) who may be indirectly affected by the impact on nature at sites used for business operations and in neighboring areas, and for implementing related management and corrective action. In this regard, we implement verification using the methods outlined in “Human Rights Due Diligence Related to Business Projects where we are Investor and/or Operator” below, and formalize and implement related internal procedures.
Our human rights due diligence can be broadly divided into the following two approaches:
The Marubeni Group recognizes that, besides forced labor (including slave labor) and child labor, occupational health and safety is also a salient human rights issue in the supply chain (reflecting the fact that, in 2022, the International Labour Conference decided to include “a safe and healthy working environment” in the ILO’s framework of fundamental principles and rights at work and to designate the Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 1981 (No. 155) and the Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 2006 (No. 187) as fundamental Conventions). To address these issues, we conduct investigations and engage with stakeholders, including all employees and executives of the Marubeni Group, suppliers, and NGOs, to identify and address any concerns which may arise.
In FYE 3/2021, in line with our Basic Policy on Human Rights, we instituted an internal process that serves as a grievance mechanism for complaints relating to human rights (redress).This is a formal mechanism that guarantees confidentiality and anonymity, and is available to and covers complaints about human rights violations from any stakeholders.(A dedicated contact point for submission of complaints about human rights violations is also available on our website).
There are no restrictions on the categories of human rights for which complaints can be submitted to this contact point. We welcome reports regarding all types of human rights, including the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment (as outlined in UN Resolution 76/300), and the human rights of all stakeholders who could be indirectly affected by the impact of our businesses and supply chains on nature (particularly those stakeholders who are especially vulnerable to environmental degradation, such as indigenous people, local communities, senior citizens, women (in some regions), people with disabilities, children and young people).
The human rights referred to above include all rights covered by the standards relating to the human rights of indigenous people and local communities that are reflected in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP), the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), and the Indigenous and Tribal People’s Convention, 1989 (ILO Convention No. 169), as well as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF).
This procedures relating to this grievance mechanism are set down in documented internal rules, and as soon as a report is submitted to the contact point, we undertake an investigation, and we decide on and implement measures relating to the protection of the person or persons submitting the report, the engagement strategy (including the priority order for dialogue, and dialogue content), determining whether or not consultation with external experts is required, and deciding whether Marubeni needs to take any remedial or corrective action, etc. In addition, we aim to ensure transparency by fulfilling our responsibility to notify the reporting party and any related rights-holders regarding implementation status. The reporting party will not be subject to any retributive action on account of using the contact point or of the content of their report.
Our grievance mechanism is implemented using the operational flow outlined below, utilizing a human rights remedy contact point (which supports all human rights issues, and is available to access by all stakeholders, including human rights defenders such as NGOs, the supply chain, local communities, etc.; we have formulated internal rules to ensure confidentiality when using the contact point, and to protect whistleblowers from disadvantageous treatment).
For each of the processes outlined above, all persons within Marubeni who are involved with the process will be required to demonstrate explicitly that the process meets the eight effectiveness criteria advocated in the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs): (i) Legitimate, (ii) Accessible, (iii) Predictable, (iv) Equitable, (v) Transparent, (vi) Rights-compatible, (vii) A source of continuous learning, (viii) Based on engagement and dialogue.
From FYE 3/2022 onwards, the number of instances of requests for relief using the grievance mechanism outlined above has been as shown below. It has been confirmed that there have been no human rights incidents caused by Marubeni’s business activities, although there have been cases in which Marubeni engaged in proactive corrective action or lobbying of third parties to eliminate the possibility that the actions of said third parties could have a negative impact on the human rights of Marubeni’s stakeholders; in such cases, we strove to resolve the situation. Going forward, if there are any requests for relief, we will work to address the problem through relief that is based on dialogue with a wide range of stakeholders, or implement corrective action or lobbying to encourage resolution of the problem.
In FYE 3/2021, FYE 3/2022, FYE 3/2023, FYE 3/2024 and FYE 3/2025, no incidents of human rights violations in our business were reported.
It should be noted that, as of March 31, 2025, there were no cases in which Marubeni was accused of non-observance of the OECD Guidelines in relation to nature (logging of forests, ecosystem transformation, loss of biodiversity, etc.), climate change, water use, pollution or other environmental issues, or human rights issues, that had been lodged with a National Contact Point.
Marubeni has established a Basic Supply Chain Sustainability Policy, which includes respect for human rights. We continue to work towards obtaining the understanding and cooperation of business partners.
Basic Supply Chain Sustainability Policy
Since the UK Modern Slavery Act came into force in October 2015, several Group companies (including corporate subsidiaries) that operate within the UK, as well as Marubeni Corporation, issue a statement each fiscal year.
Since Canadian Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act came into force in January 2024, several Group companies (including corporate subsidiaries) that operate within Canada, as well as Marubeni Corporation, issue an annual report each fiscal year.
Marubeni holds dialogues with external stakeholders on the risk and impact of potential human rights violations occurring in the Group’s business, through organizations such as the international human rights NGO, Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC). Based on the results of these dialogues, we are working to improve our risk management.
We held dialogues on two matters with external stakeholders through BHRRC in FYE 3/2021. Since then, during the period from FYE 3/2022 to FYE 3/2025, and continuing into the current fiscal year (FYE 3/2026), we have continued to enhance our overall level of expertise in this area through ongoing dialogue with the ILO, human rights experts, NGOs, local communities in the vicinity of our business locations, smallholders in production regions, etc., and through participation in the United Nations Forum on Business and Human Rights, UN Global Compact working groups, research conferences organized by industry associations (such as the Japan Foreign Trade Council), etc., and we have striven to ensure opportunities for developing a better understanding of different viewpoints.
Respect for Human Rights > Initiatives
We recognize that respect for the human rights of stakeholders such as indigenous people and local communities is a vital prerequisite for nature-related initiatives, including the preservation of biodiversity, and we strive to promote the widespread adoption of measures that embody respect for human rights through occasional opportunities for the exchange of views with related parties such as representatives of relevant government agencies, authorities and international organizations, and through participation in UN human rights forums (including attendance at sessions relating to issues affecting indigenous people), etc.
The first item in the Compliance Manual is “respect human rights and refrain from any form of discrimination, harassment and the like.” We support and respect all international rules on human rights, including the UN’s International Bill of Human Rights (Universal Declaration of Human Rights and International Covenant on Human Rights), the ILO’s Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work*5 and the 10 Principles of the UN Global Compact.
Compliance Manual(PDF：12.4MB)
For cases where circumstances warrant counseling and reporting to be carried out outside the regular reporting channels, the Marubeni Group has established the Marubeni Hotline (formerly, “Door of Courage”) reporting and consultation hotline.
Compliance
Marubeni has declared its support for the 10 principles of the UN Global Compact, which calls for the support and practice of universal principles concerning human rights, labor, and other areas. Accordingly, Marubeni respects the right of employees to unionize and bargain collectively for the purpose of conducting negotiations between labor and management on working conditions, wage levels, and other matters.
Relationship with the Labor Union
This committee (established in 1981) is chaired by the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), and its members comprise the general managers of the corporate staff group and Planning & Strategy Department in Business Divisions, as well as the general managers of the domestic branches.
At the Tokyo Head Office and the Osaka branch, Officers for the Promotion of Fair Recruitment and Human Rights Awareness are nominated and notification of their appointment is made. In this way, the company has established fair recruitment systems.
In order to deepen understanding of respect for human rights, Marubeni has conducted internal training on human rights in various formats and occasions. In particular, in FYE 3/2025 and FYE 3/2026, we invited an experienced external expert as a lecturer to provide training for all of our executive officers, heads of business divisions, and heads of department in our corporate staff group, to deepen their understanding of the responsibility of companies to respect human rights. Furthermore, as before, Marubeni holds webinars for executives and employees, as well as training programs for newly appointed executive officers, department general managers, section general managers, mid-career hires, and new employees. Training for executives and managers includes lectures on respect for human rights and the prohibition of discrimination, sexual harassment, and work-related harassment, using real examples to draw attention to the importance of these issues and prevent such incidents from occurring. We will continue to implement this training every year, updating the contents as appropriate. We conduct Overseas HR Management and Compliance Training for all employees who are scheduled to be stationed overseas, with the objective of learning how to prevent and deal with discrimination, bullying, harassment, etc. in their overseas locations. In addition, through activities such as publishing our basic policies and training materials on human rights issues on the company intranet, and internal competitions to create slogans related to human rights, we continue to raise awareness among employees.
The Marubeni Group has adopted the “Marubeni Group Basic Policy on Human Rights,” which lays out our commitment to respect the human rights of our stakeholders and address negative impacts that may arise from our business activities.Our Group is aware of various reports and media coverage expressing concerns about human rights issues in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) of China. Certain reports contain passages seeming to imply that our Group companies handle steel products made in XUAR, where human rights violations are a concern, leading some ESG rating agencies to report that our Group may be complicit in human rights violations.However, our Group does not handle steel products made in the said region and has no involvement whatsoever.
Marubeni seeks understanding of the Head Office’s efforts and provides training and capacity building opportunities with external human rights experts for Group companies involved in business in industry sectors, products, and regions that may be relevant to salient human rights issues, such as forced labor (including slave labor) and child labor. In the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024, we held dialogues and engagements with Group companies that have both international procurement networks (in the nature of Buyer) and sales networks (in the nature of Seller) in apparel-related businesses, and as one of our joint efforts to ensure respect for human rights, we conducted the above training and capacity building. A total of more than 170 participants learned about basic knowledge on human rights, international trends in business and human rights, accident cases, examples of advanced corporate initiatives, and the importance of dialogue and collaboration with customers and suppliers (stakeholder engagement).
The Marubeni Group has declared its support for the UN Global Compact, the principles of which include support and respect for human rights.Furthermore, we participate in the theme-based working groups of the Global Compact Network Japan. Through the Human Rights Due Diligence Working Group, we study due diligence best practices for preventing human rights violations and apply these initiatives for ensuring respect for human rights within the Company and throughout our supply chain.
Marubeni participates in the annual UN Forum on Business and Human Rights, and strives to share our experience and grasp the latest trends for promoting respect for human rights among corporations, based on the UN’s Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
Marubeni participates in the Industrial Federation for Human Rights, Tokyo and continues to raise awareness of human rights among Directors, Executive Officers and employees by sharing issues and holding dialogues with its member companies.
Training that focuses on strengthening awareness towards human rights, including information on our respective policies, is provided as part of the following company courses.
Some Business Divisions conduct specific training programs on human rights based on their own businesses.
Click here to view Sustainable Development Report 2024 p. 77, for results by FYE 3/2023.(PDF：11.7MB)
