Implementing Human Rights Due Diligence

Kirin Group recognizes that respect for human rights is a foundation for all of our business activities. Based on Kirin Group Human Rights Policy, we will continue to promote understanding and putting into practice of respect for human rights across our entire value chain.

Human Rights Due Diligence Process

In accordance with the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, endorsed by the United Nations Human Rights Council, Kirin Group has begun carrying out human rights due diligence. This is a continuous process based on our commitment to ensure respect for human rights (Kirin Group Human Rights Policy) and includes steps from identifying human rights issues in Kirin Group’s value chain and planning and implementing corrective action to monitoring, disclosing information, and communicating with external stakeholders. We will carry out this process as a cycle and work toward ensuring respect for human rights and realizing sustainable business.

Priority

In formulating Kirin Group Human Rights Policy, Kirin Group decided on the priority of activities on human rights issues in the following manner.

Taking guidance from international human rights and labor standards^*1 and in consultation with third party experts, we identified the following salient human rights risks that are particularly significant for the alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages industry:

A. Working hours

B. Compensation

C. Occupational Health and Safety

D. Discrimination and harassment

E. Freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining

F. Forced labor

G. Child labor

H. Privacy rights

I. Discriminatory expressions in information delivery

J. Product safety & quality

K. Responsible product sales & marketing activities

L. Negative impact on communities

For these human rights issues, we conduct country-specific human rights risk assessments for each business and procurement country based on databases of international organizations and NGOs to determine priorities.
To date, assessments have been conducted for the Myanmar business, the coffee supply chain in Laos, the soybean supply chain in China, and the tea supply chain in Sri Lanka. We also plan to assess the grape supply chain in Argentina in 2023. Focusing on high-risk sectors, the Kirin Group will continue to further promote these initiatives.

1. These rights refer to the internationally recognized rights that primarily include those set out under the International Bill of Human Rights and the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.

Conducting Human Rights Impact Assessments

Based on the priority, we will conduct a series of human rights impact assessments

New Business and Investments

As Kirin Group grows our business globally, we want to ensure that we understand the potential for negative impacts on human rights and let this inform whether and how we enter new businesses or markets. We have included human rights due diligence as part of our broader due diligence process to assess the suitability of potential new investments, using a checklist developed in line with Kirin Group Human Rights Policy. With new business partners, we will ensure they understand the Policy as well as our expectation of their support for the Policy.

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