Liberia: Put people before profit, experts on human rights and business protection |
“The current environment of irresponsible business practices provides profit for corporations but does little for people“, the members of the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights said in a speech that marked the end of their first report to the country.
“Sustainable peace and stability calls for accountability, transparency, equality, social cohesion, the rule of law, and respect for human rights for all”, they added.
Praise and alarm
Liberia, located in West Africa, suffered 15 years of conflict between 1989 and 2003, including two civil wars that killed nearly 250,000 people.
Rights experts welcome the Government’s commitment to implement the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), which define concrete steps on protection and respect, and remedies, if abuses occur.
They also praised the development of a national action plan on trade and human rights but were surprised by the lack of government oversight in various countries.
“Foreign investment facilitation has replaced the implementation of responsible business practices”, said Working Group Chairman Fernanda Hopenhaym.
“Basic infrastructure and services are lacking, especially outside Monrovia. The general neglect of local communities in development planning is unacceptable”.
Respect for humanity
Ms. Hopenhaym said the Liberian Government needs to ensure that domestic and foreign businesses show greater respect for human rights.
“It’s a special bag transparency and meaningful participation of affected communities in business decisions,” he recommended.
During their ten-day visit, the experts met with representatives from the Government, businesses, labor unions, social organizations and local communities to discuss the opportunities and challenges in implementing the UNGPs.
Procedures for implementation
Legal reforms, such as the Land Rights Act of 2018 and the Decent Work Act of 2015, were welcomed but implementation was weak, they reported.
“The experience of Liberia shows that urgency is needed for a wise combination of policies, incentives and procedures to enact laws and promote a business culture that respects human rights,” Damilola Olawuyi, another member of the Working Group that traveled there.
As human rights activists, business organizations and community members are vulnerable to attacks and harassment for speaking out against business-related human rights abuses, UN experts called for the Government to take action.
“People who come to hold businesses accountable need to respect, take seriously, and offer effective emotional mechanisms to have their cases heard and remedied,” said Ms. Hopenhaym.
The first findings
The experts will present their final report on the Liberian mission to the UN Human Rights Council in June.
Their main findings highlight issues such as very limited employment opportunities in the country, the significant hold that a small number of multinational corporations have on the economy, poor labor conditions across different sectors, and multiple forms of attack, abuse and violence. faced by women and girls.
“Liberia should ensure that all government agencies dealing with business, and the judiciary, together with the Independent National Commission on Human Rights, have the necessary resources and training to provide effective oversight of corporate behavior, and corporate accountability“, they said.
By UN experts
The Working Group consists of five human rights experts from around the world.
Apart from Ms. Hopenhaym and Mr. Olawuyi, the other members are Pichamon Yeophantong, Robert McCorquodale and Elżbieta Karska.
The UN Human Rights Council appointed them to promote the dissemination and implementation of the UNGPs.
They work in their individual capacity and are not UN employees, nor are they paid for their work.
