The National Human Rights Commission has opened a Two-Day training for staff of regulatory agencies on access to remedy for business-related human rights abuses in Abuja.
The training was being conducted in collaboration with partners such as the Danish Institute for Human Rights, Network of African National Human Rights Institutions (NANHRI), and the United Nations Guiding Principles Consortium in Nigeria (UNGP).
In his address during the opening ceremony, the Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission, Chief Tony Ojukwu, SAN, noted that the present focus on the business sector is a confirmation that human rights affect every facet of life, and one cannot fully talk about promoting rights in some areas while ignoring other areas.
He further stated that human rights are truly Inter-related and inter-dependent and hence the focus on the business sector.
According to Ojukwu, the Commission, in trying to ensure that its broad mandate is adequately covered, identified 17 thematic areas of focus to guide programming and interventions.
He also said that the training is designed to build capacity of agencies that regulate business activities, to offer redress when human rights abuses and violations occur from such businesses activities.
Ojukwu also noted that promotion and protection of human rights is not the job of the National Human Rights alone, but for all persons providing one service or the other which impacts on the lives of people.
His words: “Businesses are basically profit oriented and may overlook the ways in which their quest for maximum profit affect people around them.
They may impact human rights in ways that include exploitation of workers, unsafe working conditions, discrimination at workplace, environmental degradation, land grabbing and unethical business practices.
A business may exploit its workers through low pay or unpaid wages, poor working conditions, inhuman working hours, threats, coercion and abuse or through the use of child labour.
There may be issues of discrimination based on sex, colour or any other classifications that are against human rights norms and standards.
Environmental challenges could arise due to poor disposable of effluent, spillages, excavations, emissions and depletion of natural resources, all of which cause damages that affect the right to food, safe water, safe water, health and safe environment”.
He further noted that agencies selected for the training, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) and the National Oil Spillage Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) play important roles in various sectors and almost every person in the country is affected.
In her goodwill message, the Director, Danish Institute for Human Rights, Elin Wrzonki enjoined participants to attack advantage if the training to ensure that human rights protection is mainstreamed in their various regulatory activities and operations.
Similarly the country convener of the United Nations Guiding Principles Consortium in Nigeria (UNGP), Austin Onuoha noted that the training is necessary for adequate dissemination of standards and best practices that will enhance remedy when rights are violated. END
