NHRC organises inaugural business and human rights dialogue in Arab region

Doha, Qatar: Chairperson of the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) and President of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GAN...

Doha, Qatar: Chairperson of the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) and President of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI), HE Maryam bint Abdullah Al Attiyah said that Arab countries are witnessing tremendous and unique opportunities as well as major challenges, adding that economic transformations are accelerating, but accompanied by pressing concerns about the environmental, social and human rights impacts of business activities.

Migrant workers, women and other vulnerable groups often bear the brunt of irresponsible business practices, which requires consolidating collective efforts to protect their rights.

Addressing the opening session of the dialogue, Her Excellency said that this inaugural dialogue is an important step in ensuring that Arab region does not fall behind the global trend of implementing the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, which provide a basic framework for such efforts. These principles also emphasize the need for states to protect human rights, the need for companies to respect those rights, and enabling victims to access effective means of redress.

With virtue of their unique and powerful mandate, national human rights institutions (NHRIs) are trailblazers in promoting and protecting human rights in the context of business activities, in addition to their role as bridges of communication between governments, companies, civil society and affected communities, she said explaining that this contributes to facilitating dialogue, promoting accountability and establishing the foundations of a human rights-based approach to business operations.