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Sustainability
Social
Respect for Human Rights
Basic Approach to Human Rights
The OKI Group aims to contribute to solving social issues based on the enterprising spirit set forth in our corporate philosophy and recognizes that the foundation of all of our activities must be to consider the human rights of each and every person connected to OKI in our operations. As a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact, OKI respects international human rights norms, including the International Bill of Human Rights and the International Labour Organization's (ILO) Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. The Group also promotes initiatives in line with the United Nations' Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGP).
To ensure this approach is understood by all OKI Group executives and employees, as well as suppliers and other stakeholders directly involved in its businesses, products, and services, the OKI Group established the OKI Group Human Rights Policy in fiscal year 2022 in alignment with the UNGP.
Structure
As shown in the diagram below, initiatives related to human rights are promoted within the sustainability promotion framework, with specific themes assigned to each area. The OKI Group will continue to establish systems in line with the OKI Group Human Rights Policy and build and implement mechanisms to identify and prevent or mitigate any negative human rights impacts related to our corporate activities.
In terms of remediation and remedy, OKI is currently considering the establishment of a point of contact for rights holders outside the Group.
Structure of the OKI Group Human Rights Policy and Theme-Based Responsible Divisions
Initiatives for Respecting Human Rights
OKI is promoting initiatives under "Thorough Respect for Human Rights," a component of its materiality "Strengthening management foundation to support sustainable growth," announced with the Medium-Term Business Plan 2025.
After the establishment of the "OKI Group Human Rights Policy," in January 2023, a survey was conducted on all domestic and international manufacturing subsidiaries to understand efforts and issues related to human rights. Based on various international norms and items listed in the "OKI Group Supply Chain CSR Promotion Guidebook," the survey covered efforts regarding human rights (including the prohibition of forced labor, child labor, and discrimination, freedom of association, working hours, wages) and health and safety (including labor safety, industrial hygiene, emergency preparedness) using a written questionnaire. For domestic manufacturing subsidiaries in Japan, the employment status of foreign workers was also checked.
For FY2023, to promote the internal understanding of the "OKI Group Human Rights Policy," the explanation of the policy was incorporated into the sustainability education conducted for all domestic group employees, continuing from the previous year (conducted from December 2023 to January 2024, with a participation rate of 98.5%). Within the group, risks related to human rights and labor are managed as a "common risk," and e-learning on the theme of "working environment," including human rights and harassment, is constantly held for domestic groups. Moreover, harassment is included in educational programs at different levels, and articles explaining "workplace harassment" are published in the group reports, thus strengthening educational efforts.
For business partners, systematic surveys on initiatives concerning human rights and labor are conducted based on the "OKI Group Supply Chain CSR Promotion Guidebook," which complies with the "Guidelines for Responsible Corporate Behavior" by JEITA (Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association). In August 2023, OKI joined the "Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI)" to promote "responsible mineral procurement" with consideration to human rights.
Initiatives on AI Ethics (AI Governance)
As the use of AI, particularly generative AI, continues to grow, discussions are taking place worldwide about the social impact and risks of AI, including human rights issues. The OKI Group promotes AI governance based on the OKI Group AI Principles from the perspectives of risk management, quality management, and human resource development.
In terms of quality management, during the proposal and development stages of AI-related products, dedicated members evaluate risks, and operations are implemented to improve AI quality through discussions with customers based on the evaluation results. In fiscal year 2023, to enable members involved in quality assurance across various business divisions to assess AI risks themselves, a hands-on training program based on several AI use cases with experts was added to the existing AI business training. Additionally, to ensure that employees across the Group can safely use generative AI in various operations, a secure, in-house generative AI platform was developed, and, along with guidelines and educational content for safe AI usage, the OKI AI Chat System was launched in November 2023. By expanding the number of proficient users of generative AI to thousands, OKI aims to deepen AI understanding across the Group and foster a proactive mindset for utilizing AI in business.
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