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Japanese Guidelines on Respecting Human Rights in Responsible Supply Chains
Definition
The Guidelines on Respecting Human Rights in Responsible Supply Chains were published by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) on 13 September 2022. They explain how companies should implement human rights due diligence — identifying, preventing, mitigating and accounting for adverse human rights impacts — consistent with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the OECD Guidelines and the ILO Tripartite Declaration.
References
Supports definition and framing.
Overview
What it means
The guidelines translate international soft-law expectations into practical steps for Japanese firms and their suppliers: adopt a human rights policy, map and assess risks by geography and sector, act on findings (including suspending non-compliant suppliers), track effectiveness, remediate through grievance mechanisms, and report publicly. They were the first government guidance of this kind in Asia.
How it is used
Companies use the guidelines, plus METI's 2023 casebook and worksheets, as the reference framework for supplier codes, contract clauses and due-diligence programmes; they also inform expectations under Japan–EU trade relations and investor engagement.
Why it matters
Although voluntary, the guidelines set the de facto national standard for business conduct in Japanese supply chains and signal alignment with emerging mandatory due-diligence regimes elsewhere.