text: Investors | Human Rights and Supply Chain Management - MITSUI & CO., LTD.
  Mitsui & Co. regards respect for human rights, in accordance with international standards, as the foundation of its sustainability management. We have emphasized respect for human rights in both the Mitsui & Co. Group Conduct Guidelines and the Business Conduct Guidelines for Employees and Officers of Mitsui & Co., Ltd., and we have implemented various initiatives. Human rights initiatives in the corporate sector have become increasingly important in recent years. We recognize the need for human rights initiatives not only within Mitsui, but also across the entire supply chain. In August 2020, we formulated a Human Rights Policy to clarify our approach to human rights. This policy was approved by the Corporate Management Committee, and was reported to the Board of Directors' meeting.
  In accordance with the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, in the fiscal year ended March 2020, Mitsui appointed external experts and began conducting due diligence with regard to human rights in the supply chains of products handled by Mitsui and its overseas trading affiliates, as well as the main business operations of its consolidated subsidiaries.
  For details on the Human Rights Policy, please see Sustainability Report 2020.
  Human Rights Risk Assessment Process
  Having diverse businesses around the world, Mitsui & Co. provides a wide range of services, from upstream to downstream, with as many as 20,000 suppliers. Together with our suppliers, we endeavor to correctly assess and solve ethical and social issues in supply chains in order to meet society's demands, such as complying with laws, respecting human rights, complying with occupational health and safety laws, and reducing environmental load.
  Mitsui formulated its Supply Chain CSR Policy in December 2007, and has since made efforts to ensure that all of Mitsui's suppliers fully understand its standards and cooperate in the implementation of the policy. We reviewed the policy based on society's changing expectations, and renamed it as the Sustainable Supply Chain Policy in August 2020.
  1) Companywide uniform supplier communication forms
  We send letters to all new suppliers (about 50,000 suppliers in total) requesting their understanding and cooperation in regard to our policies.
  2) Questionnaires and on-site surveys
  We consider interactive communication with our suppliers to be very important, and we work jointly on ideas for improvements with our partners, wherever needed. For this reason, we regularly conduct surveys targeting the suppliers of Mitsui and its subsidiaries to confirm the status of their adherence to our policies, and whether they have their own policies related to such areas as human rights and labor practices, occupational health and safety, business ethics, and environmental management. Starting from the fiscal year ended March 2020, Mitsui has surveyed suppliers that handle products in high-risk business domains, in accordance with human rights due diligence. In addition to these surveys, Mitsui audits suppliers using a checklist of items for compliance with its policies. When necessary, the Company provides advice and guidance to suppliers based on meetings with persons in charge at suppliers and inspections of manufacturing facilities.