[Sponsored Report] Kogas takes steps to promote human rights

Korea Gas Corporation (Kogas) is working on its own inclusive human rights management campaign and is trying to lead human-centered innovation by building up a human rights management system, which is the basis of social value.

The introduction of human rights management as a management principle is an effort to systematize the human rights management system by establishing it, evaluating the impact that it has on human rights and preparing remedies for victims of human rights abuses.

Kogas was selected by the National Human Rights Commission of Korea in February as a “pilot organization for human rights management manuals.”

Kogas gradually established a human rights management promotion system. In June, the Human Rights Management Charter was revised and related regulations were enacted. The Human Rights Management Committee, which is the highest decision-making body for human rights management, is composed of top management, including the president and three external experts.

In addition, in order to assess human rights risks in advance, Kogas conducted human rights impact assessments on the operation of the organization and major business areas. Based on this, the Kogas Human Rights Management Basic Plan was established, which includes a systematic mid- to long-term road map for human rights management. It was confirmed after a decision from the Human Rights Management Committee.

In particular, the National Human Rights Commission of Korea’s Human Rights Management Manual was expanded to identify and evaluate the potential human rights risks that may arise in the operation of the organization and major business processes. Kogas’s own human rights impact assessment checklist was created in June this year.

Kogas expanded the National Human Rights Commission’s human rights checklist to cover 190 items in 13 categories, including information on human rights, women’s rights, employee human rights protection and 58 items in four categories of major projects, such as base construction and operation.

As a result of the checklist and expert analysis, a normative institutional basis for human rights evaluation has been successfully established. However, it is necessary to further improve the gap between norms and practices.

On Oct. 23, the opening ceremony of the Kogas Human Rights Consultation Center and the Petition Committee were held.

The Petition Committee is responsible for reviewing human rights violations and is responsible for recommending parties or corporations, and partners implement remedial measures necessary to resolve cases. In order to strengthen the independence of the committee, more than half of the members are from outside Kogas, and an external member became the chairperson.

In addition, the Human Rights Counseling Center’s counseling and reporting mechanism for human rights violations serves as a basis for establishing a culture of respect for human rights in the company through victim relief, guarantee of status and prevention of recurrence of similar incidents.

Through this, Kogas finalized the establishment of a human rights management system to promote human rights and established practical human rights procedures.

Going forward, Kogas plans to expand its human rights management by reflecting on human rights impact assessments at construction companies, upgrading its human rights management system and adding human rights clauses to contracts for overseas subsidiaries.

By Kim Ha-eun [kim.haeun@joongang.co.kr]