Konica Minolta has provided an update on the actions it has taken to address modern slavery risks in its business and supply chains for the financial year ending March 2020.
The company has submitted its first ever Modern Slavery Statement for FY2019/2020 which it says is a significant milestone in Konica Minolta Australia’s advocacy and leadership in this area.
Konica Minolta Australia played a key role in the introduction of the Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth) in Australia through giving evidence to the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Inquiry into establishing a Modern Slavery Act in Australia.
The submission of this statement represents another significant milestone as it demonstrates the work that has been undertaken and the company’s ongoing commitment to action and awareness.
Included in the statement are a number of case studies of how Konica Minolta has worked and aims to continue working with its suppliers, old and new, from the tender process for its new sensitive freight logistics supplier, which incorporated ethical sourcing requirements, to the engagement with its uniform supplier at their premises in Sydney.
Yohei Konaka, Managing Director, Konica Minolta Australia said: “Konica Minolta Australia recognises the significant human cost of modern slavery, which involves serious crimes and grave forms of human rights abuses.
“We are committed to providing support to victims of modern slavery and related harms and amplifying their voices and lived experiences through our engagement with community partners and multi-stakeholder initiatives.”
The company has identified three categories within its supply chain and conducts ongoing human rights due diligence across these areas, to identify and address the risks of modern slavery:
- Offices, operations and service providers. This includes logistics and warehousing, cleaning, professional services and its offshore customer support call centre.
- Goods and services it sells. This includes KMI manufactured products and third party products including 3D printers and wide format printers.
- Goods it doesn’t sell. This includes brand-affiliated merchandise and uniforms.
Konica Minolta’s journey began in 2015 with the publication of the Ethical Sourcing Roadmap, followed by Konica Minolta Australia’s Human Rights Position Statement and Supplier Code of Conduct in 2016, all of which culminated in Konica Minolta Australia receiving the Anti Slavery Australia Freedom Award in 2017 and the Australian Human Rights Award for Business in 2018.
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