HIROSHIMA, Japan—Mazda Motor Corporation today received the Human Rights Merit Award from the Hiroshima Legal Affairs Bureau on behalf of Japan’s Ministry of Justice and the National Federation of Consultative Assemblies of Civil Liberties Commissioners. The award ceremony took place at Mazda’s headquarters in Hiroshima. Kazue Okuni, vice chairperson of the National Federation of Consultative Assemblies of Civil Liberties Commissioners (also chairperson of the Hiroshima Consultative Assembly of Civil Liberties Commissioners’ Association of Human Rights Volunteers), Hidetoshi Hoshino, director-general of the Hiroshima Legal Affairs Bureau, and staff of the Hiroshima Legal Affairs Bureau and the Hiroshima Prefecture Human Rights Committee attended. Also present were Mazda’s chairman, president and CEO, Hisakazu Imaki, and other senior Mazda executives. At the award ceremony, President Imaki was presented with a certificate and a commemorative trophy. The Ministry of Justice’s Human Rights Bureau and the Hiroshima Legal Affairs Bureau previously announced that Mazda had been chosen for the Human Rights Merit Award on February 25, 2008.

“Mazda’s corporate activities, both within and outside the company, are based on respecting human rights. Our Human Rights Declaration states, ‘Mazda should strive to become the leading company in Japan for respecting human rights and for the ethical treatment of employees,’” said Mazda’s president, Hisakazu Imaki. “Mazda is dedicated to various human rights protection activities in order to nurture the individual abilities of each and every employee and enhance our organizational capabilities. Working together with government and industry associations, we want to spread the message of respect for human rights in Mazda and in society. Mazda is honored to receive this award and we will continue to expand and evolve our human rights activities.”

The Human Rights Merit Award recognizes significant achievements in the field of human rights protection by individuals or organizations. Recipients are recommended by the national and district directors of the Legal Affairs Bureau and prefectural Consultative Assemblies of Civil Liberties Commissioners. The award was established in fiscal year (FY) 2006 and was given for the first time in FY2007 (April 2007-March 2008). Mazda is the first corporation to receive the award, in recognition of the establishment of the company’s Human Rights Committee and its human rights protection activities both within and outside the company, which are conducted under the Human Rights Declaration.