National Strategies Aligned with International Instruments are Needed

TOKYO (ILO NEWS) - ILO Tokyo's new report, released on 1 December 2022, says it would be desirable for states to develop national strategies and domestic measures that are consistent with international instruments.

The policy recommendations come amid growing trends, mainly in Europe, towards mandatory human rights due diligence that incorporates a labour dimension of corporate social responsibility and responsible business conduct (Labour CSR/RBC).

In its report 'Policy recommendations for Japan towards achieving the labour dimension of corporate social responsibility - Japan's national policy concerning business and human rights', co-authors Emi Sugawara and Ryusuke Tanaka examine the norms developed in the context of four international instruments, namely the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises Recommendations for Responsible Business Conduct in a Global Context, Tripartite declaration of principles concerning multinational enterprises and social policy (MNE Declaration) and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The report examined the dynamism of normative development led by diverse actors' implementation of those norms. It concluded that the Japanese Government's current policies demonstrate substantial room for the evolution of Japan's labour CSR and RBC policies. Such policies might include the following:

• Establish a political philosophy and objectives (vision) for labour CSR and RBC in Japan and formulate a national strategic objective document that clarifies the picture with a cross-ministerial action plan.
• Conduct a gap analysis of the labour CSR and RBC policies and identify priorities among human rights issues for Japanese enterprises and society.
• Based on the vision and strategic objectives, labour CSR and RBC policy measures should be examined from the perspective of a smart mix and incentive-setting.

This research was developed with funding from the European Union through the Responsible Supply Chains in Asia programme.