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By Emelia B. Addae<\/p>\n
\u202fKoforidua Dec. 13, GNA \u2013 The Ministry of Justice and Attorney-General, together with the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), are soliciting input for a National Action Plan on Businesses and Human Rights (NAP-BHR).\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u202fIn this respect, the Attorney-Office General\u2019s and CHRAJ are conducting interviews and focus group discussions around the country to obtain public opinion on the strategy and ensure human rights observance in business settings.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights is an evolving policy strategy designed to safeguard business enterprises from negative human rights impacts in accordance with the United Nations Guiding Principles.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u202fMrs Sylvia Adusu, chair of the Steering Committee on NAP-BHR, told a gathering in Koforidua during a regional consultation that when stakeholders from both the public and private sectors make contributions to the NAP, it will be easier to implement and enforce.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u202f\u201dThis national stakeholder engagement exercise will promote law enforcement because when the plan is finally drawn for public use, the public will be familiar with it and it will not be as if the committee sat in Accra to draw the action plan for Ghanaians,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The NAP-BHR in Ghana is intended to increase institutional capacity, operations, policy coordination, and implementation, as well as raise state actors\u2019 and agencies\u2019 awareness efforts for the protection and promotion of human rights by businesses.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u202fThe Eastern Region was the second location for\u202fthe stakeholders\u2019 engagement exercise, which was well attended by members from various organizations in Koforidua.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Traditional and religious groups, the Association of Ghana Industries, the Association of Small Scale Industries, the Ghana Hairdressers and Beauticians Association, the Ghana Private Road Transport Union, the International Child Development Programme Ghana, and several\u202fothers were among the attendees.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mr Victor Brobbey, member of the steering committee and lead anchor on NAP-BHR, explained the steering committee\u2019s composition, which included representatives from the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The rest included the Trades Union Congress, Ghana Employer Association, Ministry of Finance, Environmental Protection Agency, Private Enterprise Foundation, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, in a presentation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He presented on the mandatory human rights impact assessment, the creation of a permanent business and human rights enforcement structure, and the three-pillar structure, which included protect, respect, and remedy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mr Thompson K. Afari, Chief Executive Officer of Heroes under God, a Christian non-governmental organisation, and a workshop participant, hailed the programme as inspiring and insightful, and said he learned more about business and human rights concerns.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIn our various work places, people tend to play down on people\u2019s rights. I advise that every human being matters and for that we have to respect the rights of every human being,\u201d he added.\u00a0<\/p>\n
GNA\u00a0<\/p>\n