Press conference- Complaint filed against Japanese company for violation of OECD Guidelines
When：Friday, June 5, 2026, 13:00～14:00 (JST)
Where：Online (with simultaneous translation ENG/JPN)
A press conference link will be sent the day before via email. There would be a recording in case this time doesn’t match for your time zone. You can indicate your preference in the form if you would like to receive it afterwards.
The Mozambique LNG project, under development in Cabo Delgado Province in northern Mozambique, has long been the subject of various concerns, including human rights abuses and environmental damage. The international environmental NGO FoE Japan will file a complaint with the National Contact Point (NCP) against Mitsui E&P Mozambique Area 1 Ltd. (MEPMOZ, a joint venture between Mitsui & Co. and the Japanese Organization for Metals and Energy Security), the project’s second biggest investor, alleging violations of OECD Guidelines. We have previously sent letters expressing our serious concerns and demanding withdrawal, mentioned the issue at annual general meetings, and requested meetings, but the company has not fulfilled its accountability, and the situation on the ground continues to worsen, leading us to file this complaint. We would be grateful if you could cover this story from a business and human rights perspective.
Since the discovery of a gas field off the coast of northern Mozambique around 2010, a total of four liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects have been developed in the region, making it the largest energy project in Africa. The Mozambique LNG project, in which many Japanese public and private sector entities are involved, is led by the French energy major TotalEnergies. The plan is to extract gas from 2,000-3,000 meters below sea level, transport it via a 40km underwater pipeline to the Afunghi LNG Park on land, and ultimately liquefy it with a target of 43 million tons per year. The final investment decision for this project was made in 2019.
However, the security situation on the ground has deteriorated from around 2017, and after a large-scale attack in Palma near the project site, the project was declared a “force majeure” in April 2021 and temporarily suspended. The project officially resumed in January 2026.
List of Japanese public and private institutions involved in the project= Investor: Mitsui E&P Mozambique Area 1 Ltd. (20%)= A joint venture between Mitsui& Co. and the Japanese Organization for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEPublic support: Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC, approximately $3.5
billion in loans), Nippon Export and Investment Insurance (NEXI, $2 billion in insurance)
-Private finance: Co-financing by Mitsubishi UFJ Bank, Mizuho Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, etc.
Offtakers: Tokyo Gas, Tohoku Electric Power, JERA= Plans to import approximately 30% of production volume
Register beforehand via: https://forms.gle/ZSSmDve7uf3ELEKG6
Organizer-Friends of the Earth Japan (FoE Japan)
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