Ghana: Don't Undermine Human Rights Protection - Group

An independent group, made up of experts drawn from the fields of business and human rights, has advised that Ghana establishes structures to contain its business environment to ensure its expanding economy does not undermine human rights protection. This move, they assert, is in response to Ghana's booming economy.

At a Press conference in Accra yesterday, the group, who held membership with the United Nations (UN), premised their recommendation on observations they made during a ten-day official working visit they embarked on while investigating current initiatives, opportunities and challenges in implementing the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

These principles were adopted by the UN Human Right Council in 2011 to prevent negative impacts of business activities on human rights, and to ensure effective access to remedy them, should they occur.

Ms Alexandra Gaqueta, a member of the working group noted that, "Rapid economic growth could pose excruciating challenges for right protection," therefore, investors, both national and foreign, should ensure greater respect for human right as they participate in Ghana's growth.

Furthermore, the group realized and accordingly proposed the need to ensure that human right standards be effectively integrated into institutions that aimed at promoting foreign investment in the country.

It further called on the government not to allow bilateral trade and investment treaties to hamper its space policy for evolving the regulatory framework so as to protect rights or ensure the progressive realization of economic rights.

Mr. Pavel Sulyandziga, leader of the group, urged the Ghanaian government to ensure an incorporation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Right in the policy on corporate social responsibility being developed by the Ministry of Trade and Industry.

He again said that the principles should guide the work of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre and the Ghana Free Zones Board, adding that it should be incorporated into Ghana's trade and investment agreements."

Mr. Sulyandziga also called on Ghana to build on its successful investment in modern institutions for trade promotion and investment to ensure other key institutions dealing with business, such as the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations and the Judiciary, have the necessary resources and training to provide effective oversight.

The experts noted that Ghana over the years had a relatively strong legal framework which was directed at protecting rights." However, these laws and regulations were often not effectively implemented by businesses nor enforced by authorities," they observed.

The group further observed that even though the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) had developed considerable expertise on business and human rights, it lacked adequate resources to prosecute violators of such rights.

They, therefore, called on government to as a matter of urgency furnish local courts with sufficient resources to adequately deal with complaints relating to human impacts on business activities, while strengthening "the capacity of institutions that deal with the private sector on the use of human rights norms and standards, including the Guiding Principles."

PIX: UN Group of Independent Experts on Human Right and Business briefing Journalist on their 10-Day working visit in Ghana. From far left is a member of the group, to his immediate right is the leader of the group: Mr. Pavel Sulyadzinga; far right is Ms Alexandra Guaqueta.



(2013-07-20/allafrica)