The Human Rights Commission of Sierra Leone yesterday commenced a two conference on business and human right on the theme ‘building a culture of human right within the business community in Sierra Leone at the Miatta Conference Centre Brookfields in Freetown.
Patrick Molai Koroma chaired the opening session. In his address, he said the conference is as a result of a monitoring report published in 2013 identifying gross human rights violation by mining companies.
Businesses should be accountable or else they can cause harm and also abuse the human rights of individuals where they operate. Koroma said businesses that violate the human rights of people can be charged to court.
The Chair of the Human Rights Commission, Usman Fornah, gave a brief background of the Commission, which was established in 2004 to protect and promote the human right of Sierra Leoneans under International and domestic laws. He called for the strategic engagement of businesses to respect the right of workers.
A representative of the European Union said the guiding principles to respect and protect human right by businesses is an integral part of economic growth and called for the protection of human right defenders with an independent functioning judiciary.
The US Ambassador to Sierra Leone, Maria Brewer, said businesses should respect the right of workers and locals. The Inspector General of Police, Francis Munu, said businesses are primarily established to maximize profits but they are also under obligation to respect the rights of workers.
The British High Commissioner to Sierra Leone, Guy Warrington, said businesses should demonstrate due diligence with a high sense of responsibility or else some will face reputation problems and lawsuits.
Representative of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security said the Government of Sierra Leone has domesticated many treaties and implemented many legal frameworks that are supposed to protect and promote the rights of workers.
Delivering the keynote address, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Joseph Fitzgerald Kamara, said technology is key to improving the workplace and spoke about discrimination within the workplace.
SB/25/10/17
By Saidu Bah
Thursday October 26, 2017.