Human Rights Policy

(Established: December 1, 2013)
(Revised: November 1, 2016)

At Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group, based on the "Basic Policy on the Social Responsibility of Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group (Sustainability Policy)," we strive to foster a corporate culture and workplace environment that respects the basic human rights of clients and all stakeholders, always act with a strong sense of ethics and social conscience in all aspects of our corporate activities, and achieve sustainable development as a corporate group that is trusted by society.

1. Respect International Standards: We respect international standards on human rights, such as The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and corporate codes of conduct based on the United Nations Global Compact.
2. Prohibit Discrimination: We reject, in all our corporate activities, discrimination and infringement of human rights based on race, nationality, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, origin, social status, beliefs, religion, disabilities, physical characteristics, and the like.
3. Foster a Corporate Culture that Respects Human Rights: We regard every kind of human rights issue as one facing us and encourage our employees to think from the other person’s point of view so as to foster a corporate culture that respects human rights.
4. Establish a Pleasant Workplace Environment: We establish a pleasant workplace environment by encouraging all executives and employees to treat each other as business partners and build equal relationships that allow a free exchange of opinions.
We acknowledge that such behavior as sexual harassment and power harassment impair human dignity; therefore, we do not allow such behavior.
5. Ensure Fair Recruitment: We implement strict and fair screening in the recruitment of employees and others, solely based on individual capability and suitability.
6. Implement Human Rights Education Training: With the aim of resolving all kinds of actual or potential issues related to human rights and encouraging all executives and employees to develop a deep appreciation of human rights that appropriately reflects relevant and accurate facts and information, we work on a wide range of human rights education activities, including one addressing discrimination against the Dowa, a specifically Japanese social minority, through every kind of opportunity, mainly annual workplace-based human rights education training.

The above-mentioned policy also applies to our overseas network, and the Group gathers information on cases where the corporate activities of our domestic and overseas suppliers and contractors (supply chain), and companies that we invest in or lend to, negatively impact human rights. In cases where relevant laws, standards, and policies are violated, necessary measures are taken as appropriate.