Mizuho Financial Group, Inc. (President & Group CEO: Masahiro Kihara) has published a Human Rights Report compiling details on our initiatives for respecting human rights, based on the United Nations Guiding Principles Reporting Framework.1 We are the first Japanese financial institution to issue such a report.
At Mizuho, we established a Human Rights Policy in 2018 as part of our commitment to respecting internationally recognized human rights, and we have been working proactively to address a variety of human rights issues. In light of the recent increase in recognition of the importance of ensuring respect for human rights and the changes in human rights issues for financial institutions and global corporations, we undertook a review of human rights issues of the highest concern to Mizuho, and we revised our Human Rights Policy in May 2022. With this policy, we are aiming to establish a value chain respecting human rights. This entails not only ensuring understanding among our employees, but also deepening mutual understanding with all of our clients and suppliers through dialogue (engagement). Such cooperation and collaboration is the cornerstone of strengthening our human rights due diligence.
Our first Human Rights Report includes comprehensive explanations on Mizuho’s policies for respecting human rights and on the content of our efforts to strengthen our initiatives. In this way, it provides for accountability to our stakeholders in regard to our initiatives for respecting human rights and also raises our transparency. Going forward, we will use the Human Rights Report in our engagement to communicate our policies and initiatives.
We will continue improving transparency, maintaining responsible business conduct, and strengthening initiatives towards realization of a sustainable society in which human rights are respected.
Link to the Human Rights Report 2022:
https://www.mizuhogroup.com/binaries/content/assets/pdf/mizuhoglobal/sustainability/human-rights/solution/human_rights_report.pdf(PDF/4,252KB)
Overview of the Human Rights Report
| Item | Key points of strengthened initiatives | |
| Our policies |
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| Major human rights issues |
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| Framework for promoting respect of human rights |
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| Human rights due diligence |
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| Grievance mechanism and stakeholder communication |
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| In conclusion |
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| Appendix |
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1: Comprehensive guidance for companies to report on human rights issues in line with their responsibility to respect human rights, as set out in the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Developed through the Human Rights Reporting and Assurance Frameworks Initiative (RAFI).