“The current environment of irresponsible business practices profitable for companies but less profitable for everyone”, said members of the United Nations Working Group on Business and Human Rights statement marked the end of their first visit to the country.
They added: “A lasting and stable peace requires accountability, transparency, equality, social cohesion, the rule of law and respect for human rights for all.”
Praise and alarm
Liberia, located in West Africa, suffered 15 years of conflict between 1989 and 2003, with two civil wars that killed nearly 250,000 people.
Rights experts welcome the Government’s commitment to UN implementation Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights(UNGP ), which defines specific steps for protection and respect, as well as remedies if abuse occurs.
They also praised the development of a national action plan on business and human rights but were concerned about the lack of state oversight in many parts of the country.
“Foreign Investment Facilitation Has Replaced Responsible Business Practices”“, speak Chairman of the Working Group Fernanda Hopenhaym.
“Basic infrastructure and services are lacking, especially outside of Monrovia. The general omission of local communities in development planning is unacceptable.”
Respect human rights
Ms. Hopenhaym said the Liberian government needs to make sure domestic and foreign businesses show more respect for human rights.
“An important factor is transparency and meaningful participation of affected communities in business-related decisions,” she recommends.
During the 10-day visit, the experts met with representatives of the Government, businesses, unions of workers, civil society organizations and local communities to discuss opportunities and challenges in implementation of the UNGP.
Implementation policy
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 Liberian experience shows urgent need Damilola Olawuyi, another member of the Working Group that went there, said:
Because human rights activists, trade unionists and community members are vulnerable to attack and intimidation for speaking out against business-related human rights abuses, UN experts have called for Call the Government to take action.
“Those who are trying to hold businesses accountable should be respected, taken seriously, and put in place effective grievance mechanisms for their case to be heard and resolved,” Ms. Hopenhaym said.
Initial findings
Experts will present their final report on the Liberian mission to the UN Dong Nhan Quyen Associationin June.
Their initial findings reflect issues such as very limited employment opportunities in the country, the substantial holdings that a few large multinational corporations have over the economy, working conditions poor performance in different areas and the many forms of harassment, abuse and violence faced by women and girls.
“Liberia should ensure that all government agencies dealing with business and justice, along with the Independent National Commission on Human Rights, have the necessary resources and training to provide effective oversight of corporate conduct and corporate accountability“, they said.
About UN experts
The working group consists of five human rights experts from around the world.
Besides Ms. Hopenhaym and Mr. Olawuyi, the other members are Pichamon Yeophantong, Robert McCorquodale and Elżbieta Karska.
They are appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council to promote the dissemination and implementation of the UNGP.
They serve as individuals and are not employees of the United Nations, nor are they paid for their work.
