As a corporate group that globally operates businesses,the Group respects the International Bill of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations and pursues its corporate activities based on international norms such as the United Nations’ Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. In order to clearly demonstrate our stance that respect for human rights is an important social responsibility, we established the Kobe Steel Group’s Basic Policy on Human Rights, which includes protections against child labor and forced labor, in October 2019.

To ensure that human rights awareness deeply permeates the entire Group, both in Japan and overseas, and to clarify our stance of not tolerating discrimination and harassment, we conduct human rights awareness training and have established consultation helplines. In fiscal 2020, we conducted anti-harassment training for all executives of Kobe Steel, and similar training was also held at our local subsidiary in China.

In addition, in March 2021, we signed the United Nations Global Compact and registered as a participating company. Going forward, as a company that endorses the principles of protecting human rights and eliminating unfair labor practices, we will continue our efforts to realize these principles by strengthening activities to respect human rights in our procurement activities, striving to identify human rights issues in our business activities, and strengthening our efforts to prevent human rights violation issues from occurring in the first place through the promotion of human rights due diligence.

1. Develop human resources capable of practicing risk prediction and safety verification and steadily promote skills management
2. Conduct risk management and promote enhanced safety of facilities and work
3. Create a system that spirals up health and safety management and activities
4. Strengthen and support the health and safety management and activities of Group companies(including overseas companies)

1. Further improve work environments through compliance with laws and regulations and risk assessment related to the management of workplace involved with hazardous operations
2. Strengthen activities to prevent the onset of new mental-related diseases and continue early detection and response efforts
3. Strengthen efforts to prevent cardiovascular diseases and neoplasm (cancer)

• Health and Safety

In addition, in fiscal 2020, our Company launched an initiative for Total Quality Management (TQM*) to prevent the quality misconduct from fading away, achieve sustainable growth and realize our Group Corporate Philosophy. In April 2021, we reorganized the Project for Restoring Trust into the Trust Improvement Project led by the President to implement the initiative across the Group on a full scale. The Project is composed of KOBELCO TQM Promotion Meetings and the Customer Trust Improvement Meetings.

Under the Trust Improvement Project, the Quality Management Committee, an advisory body to the Board of Director, continues to monitor and make recommendations from an objective perspective.

We recognized that establishment of a system that contributes to the enhancement of corporate value through appropriate risk-taking, collaboration with stakeholders, appropriate dialogue with capital markets, ensuring the rights and equality of shareholders, ensuring transparency are important to us. We will constantly review our management system to achieve these goals.