EU-Japan Joint Webinar on Business and Human Rights to Be Held

1. Overview

Recent years have seen the trend of promoting corporate efforts toward respect for human rights gain pace, particularly in the United States and Europe. This February, the European Commission adopted a proposal for a Directive on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence that makes it mandatory for companies with certain turnover in specific sectors to implement due diligence regarding human rights and the environment.

While the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has taken the lead in formulating cross-industry guidelines on human rights due diligence, METI has also been working to promote international cooperation to enhance the predictability of measures taken in different countries so that companies can actively engage in respecting human rights on a level playing field. Going forward, METI will continue to work on creating an environment conducive to companies' efforts toward respecting human rights in their supply chains.

In the webinar, as part of the EU-Japan collaboration, policymakers from the EU and Japan will report on business and human rights policies. Industry representatives from both sides working toward respect for human rights will also introduce their efforts in industry associations and companies. This webinar aims to promote mutual understanding between the EU and Japan in business and human rights and contribute to enhancing predictability for businesses.

2. Live streaming date and time:

June 15(Wed.), 2022, from 16:00 to 17:40 (JST)

3. Venue:

Streamed online

4. Program

(1) Session 1: EU presentations (40 minutes)

Presentation on the Directive on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence

Directorate-General for Growth (DG Grow), EU Commission  
 

Report from an industry association

MODINT (Dutch Trade Association for Fashion, Interior, Design, Carpets and Textile) 
 

Report from an EU company

ALDI SOUTH Group (EU retailer)

(2) Session 2: Japanese presentations (35 minutes)

Japanese government's efforts in business and human rights

Business and Human Rights Policy Office, Minister's Secretariat, METI
 

Report from an industry association

Japan Textile Federation

Report from a Japanese company

Sustainability Dept., Sony Group Corporation

(3) Q&A (20 minutes)

5. How to register

For information on registering, please check the EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation's website .

Division in Charge

Business and Human Rights Policy Office, Minister's Secretariat
Europe Division, Trade Policy Bureau