Chairperson of NHRC H E Maryam bint Abdullah Al Attiyah addressing the opening session.
Doha, Qatar: An inaugural dialogue ‘Business and Human Rights in Arab Region’ under the theme ‘Charting the Course for Responsible Business Practices in the Arab Region’ began in Doha yesterday.
The two-day event aims at raising awareness of governments’ duties and businesses’ responsibilities under the UN Guiding Principle on Businesses and Human Rights (UNGPs).
The dialogue is being organised by Qatar’s National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) in cooperation with Arab Network of National Human Rights Institutions (ANNHRI), Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI), the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights (UNWG, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef).
Addressing the opening session, Chairperson of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) and Chairperson of NHRC, H E Maryam bint Abdullah Al Attiyah said that this inaugural dialogue is an important step in ensuring that Arab region does not fall behind the global trend of implementing the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
She said that these principles also emphasise the need for States to protect human rights, and for companies to respect those rights, and for victims to have access to effective remedies.
“Arab countries have enormous opportunities and unique and significant challenges, and economic transformations are accelerating, but accompanied by pressing concerns about the environmental, social and human rights impacts of business activities,” said Al Attiyah.
She said that migrant workers, women and other vulnerable groups often bear the brunt of irresponsible business practices, which require to strengthen our collective action and determination to protect their rights. “National human rights institutions, with their unique and powerful mandate, are at the forefront of promoting and protecting human rights in the context of business activities,” said Al Attiyah.
She said that this is in addition to its role as bridges of communication between governments, companies, civil society and affected communities, which contributes to facilitating dialogue, enhancing accountability and establishing the foundations of a human rights-based approach to business operations.
“It also plays a key role in ensuring that the UN Guiding Principles are effectively implemented and translated into concrete realities on the ground, by providing guidance to States and companies, contributing to the development of laws, policies and practices that are consistent with international human rights standards, monitoring, tracking and investigating the human rights impacts of business activities, and holding States and companies accountable for human rights abuses,” said Al Attiyah.
Secretary-General of the Arab Network for National Human Rights Institutions Sultan bin Hassan Al Jamali stressed the importance of dialogue, noting that it puts everyone on the path to protecting human rights in business in the Arab region.
He said that the dialogue comes to prepare a roadmap for more responsible business practices in the Arab region.
Vice-Chairperson of NHRC, Dr. Mohammed bin Saif Al Kuwari said that the dialogue focuses on the Arab world, and that there are challenges, especially since some companies have businesses that may not benefit certain groups.
He added: “We aspire to expand the circle of benefit by encouraging business owners to undertake more pioneering projects that affect people’s livelihoods, and to open a dialogue platform between businesses, companies and human rights, to discuss the obstacles and challenges, which we work through the dialogue to find solutions for.”
