Tokyo, Japan - January 7, 2009
Yokogawa announces that it joined the United Nations Global Compact on January 5, 2009. The Global Compact is a voluntary corporate citizenship initiative consisting of ten principles in the areas of human rights, labour, the environment and anti-corruption. Yokogawa is the 76th participant in Japan.
This initiative was proposed in 1999 by the former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in an address to The World Economic Forum, and officially launched in July 2000. It asks companies to support and put into practice ten principles in the areas of human rights, labour, the environment and anti-corruption. Approximately 6,400 participants worldwide have joined the Global Compact as of December 2008.
Since its foundation in 1915, Yokogawa has been committed to fulfilling its responsibilities such as contributing to society and maintaining compliance under the corporate philosophy of "Individually, we aim to combine good citizenship with the courage to innovate." The company established the Standards of Business Conduct for the Yokogawa Group in 1994 and issued the Yokogawa Group Compliance Guidelines as a specific action guideline in 2007.
Moreover, Yokogawa established the Corporate Social Responsibility Headquarters in 2008 to actively implement environmental management measures in such areas as the prevention of global warming and to pursue activities that address various issues affecting the broader society as well as local communities. As a participant of the United Nations Global Compact, Yokogawa will continue to work hard to fulfill its responsibilities.
The Ten Principles of the United Nations Global Compact
Human Rights
- Principle 1: Businesses should support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights; and
- Principle 2: make sure that they are not complicit in human rights abuses.
Labour Standards
- Principle 3: Businesses should uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining;
- Principle 4: the elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labour;
- Principle 5: the effective abolition of child labour; and
- Principle 6: the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation.
Environment
- Principle 7: Businesses should support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges;
- Principle 8: undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility; and
- Principle 9: encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies.
Anti-Corruption
- Principle 10: Businesses should work against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery.
About Yokogawa
Yokogawa's global network of 19 manufacturing facilities and 89 companies spans 32 countries. Since its founding in 1915, the US$4 billion company has been engaged in cutting-edge research and innovation, securing more than 7,500 patents and registrations, including the world's first digital sensors for flow and pressure measurement. Industrial automation and control, test and measurement, information systems and industry support are the core businesses of Yokogawa. For more information about Yokogawa, please visit our web site at www.yokogawa.com.