Respect for human rights

Nomura Micro Science's company principles is “Our mission is to improve living quality and welfare of all employees without seeking unnecessary advantage of scale.” To achieve this, we have been providing various kinds of value through the design, construction, and sales of water treatment equipment, including ultrapure water production equipment. Furthermore, we have been trying to improve the standard of living and welfare, not only of our employees but also of all those involved in our business activities, by promoting fair trade throughout the entire supply chain, instead of conducting economic activities aimed solely at expanding the scale of business.

Based on our corporate philosophy, “To be a company that contributes to society through water purification and its related technology to achieve sustainable growth,” we formulated the Sustainability Policy in 2021 to address sustainability issues more proactively. We aim to contribute to the realization of a sustainable society as well as to continuously enhance our corporate value through our efforts to solve social issues, while working hand in hand with all stakeholders involved in our business activities.

In our Sustainability Policy, we have included “respect for human rights” as one of the materialities, further expanding our management philosophy from the perspective of respect for human rights and declaring that we will take actions to respect the human rights of all people involved in our business activities.

This Human Rights Policy was formulated as a guideline for realizing the respect for human rights set forth in the Sustainability Policy, based on a resolution of the Board of Directors, after repeated deliberations by the Sustainability Committee chaired by the President and Chief Executive Officer, while receiving advice from an external expert.

In accordance with this Human Rights Policy, we aim to realize a sustainable society in which people can live prosperous lives with a sense of happiness by taking actions to respect the human rights of all people involved in our business activities.

We are committed to respecting the fundamental human rights, at a minimum, those set out in the International Bill of Human Rights (Universal Declaration of Human Rights and International Covenants on Human Rights) and the International Labour Organization’s Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. We also support the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) and will respect human rights in all aspects of our business activities through business operations based on the UNGPs.

This Human Rights Policy applies to all directors, corporate auditors, executive officers, board members, and employees of Nomura Micro Science and its consolidated subsidiaries, including part-time employees, contract employees, temporary employees, and dispatched employees (hereinafter referred to collectively as “officers and employees”).

We expect our suppliers and business partners to understand and support this Policy and strive to respect human rights.

To fulfill our responsibility to respect human rights, we will establish a system for human rights due diligence and continuously implement the process to identify adverse human rights impacts, prevent or mitigate them, and assess (monitor) the effectiveness of these efforts. If we identify that we have caused or contributed to adverse human rights impacts through human rights due diligence, we will strive to take appropriate measures to remedy the situation.

We will work to develop a whistleblowing system and grievance mechanisms to appropriately address adverse human rights impacts in all aspects of our business activities.

We comply with the legal requirements of the countries and regions where we operate, and in order to respect human rights to the greatest extent possible, we will adopt the higher standards when such legal norms and internationally recognized standards differ. Where such legal requirements and the principles of internationally recognized human rights are in conflict, we will seek ways to honor the principles of internationally recognized human rights.

(1) Freedom of Association and the Right to Collective Bargaining

　We respect the rights of our employees to establish associations, join associations, and bargain collectively, and prohibit any unreasonable infringement of such rights.

(2) Prohibition of Forced Labor

　We prohibit forced labor that is offered involuntarily and under the threat of a penalty.

(3) Prohibition of Child Labor

　We do not employ children under 15 years old for any work, and do not employ children under 18 years old for hazardous work.

(4) Prohibition of Discrimination

　We prohibit any forms of discrimination based on race, sex, social status, nationality, religion, thought and beliefs, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, etc.

(5) Occupational Health and Safety

　We ensure the safety and health of our employees in accordance with applicable laws and regulations and maintain a workplace environment where employees can work with security.

(6) Working Hours and Compensation

　In accordance with the applicable laws and regulations, we properly manage employees' working hours, holidays, and leave, and ensure that employees are properly compensated for their work through wages and other forms of compensation, in order to improve their lives and enhance their welfare.

(7) Prevention of Harassment

　We do not tolerate any form of harassment, whether mental or physical, including sexual harassment or power harassment.

We will provide necessary training and education to ensure that our officers and employees properly understand this Policy and that each of them acts in accordance with this Policy.

We will engage with our stakeholders by reporting on our efforts and progress toward respecting human rights in accordance with this Policy through our website and other means.