Grand Bassa County, Buchanan – Participants at a two-day forum between government institutions and the business sector have stressed the need to support human rights activities in the country.
Report by J. H. Webster
The forum, which was held over the weekend in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County was sponsored by the Office of the High Commission on Human Rights (OHCHR).
It aims at discussing the abuses in the business sector and also how said human rights violation can be prevented.
Speaking at the event, the Deputy Commissioner for Oversight and Planning at the Independent National Commission on Human Rights (INCHR), Wilfred N. Gray-Johnson called on business houses and government institutions to support human rights activities in the country.
According to Johnson, the role of the Ministry of Justice shows some level of commitment from national government.
He said there is a need for survey to determine the level of human rights violations across the country.
“This includes trans-national corporations, businesses and other institutions that will set the baseline for monitoring all human rights violations,” he said.
“We still have a lot to do as a country, but with the political will Liberia can achieve more. Liberia is a signatory to both international and regional instruments,” he said.
Johnson added: “The government has domesticated some of the international documents and INCHR will continue to push the government to ensure that human rights are protected.”
According to INCHR Deputy Commissioner for Oversight and Planning, it is a must that violence against women and children be eliminated.
Also, the Assistant Minister for Economic Affairs at the Ministry of Justice, Meo Beyan, said plans are currently underway for the formation of a steering committee that supersedes and focuses on basic human
rights in the country.
“We want businesses to be able to promote human rights, which are a new initiative,” MOJ Assistant Minister said.
This initiative will bring people from the concession areas, businesses environment, CSOs and government institutions,” Beyan added.
According to him, the government is under obligation to protect human rights in Liberia.
“We intend to protect everyone, those in the private and government sectors. We gathered here today to see how the citizens of Liberia rights can be protected at every level and at work places. We want to ensure that while doing business, there is a total observation of
human rights,” he said.
“We are delighted because there are laws that deal with some of the problems, like assault. We also talking about better working environment, and there is law governing that already including the decent work law,” Beyan said.
According to him, the issue of health and safety at work place remain a serious concern to the Ministry of Justice.
The MOJ Assistant Minister added “There are missing processes that the MOJ, INCHR and partners are working to put together.”
“We want to establish a special committee that deals with business and human rights. We will at the end of this conference organized this committee and ensure that it’s properly working or functioning. We will also ensure that they have a term of reference and the MOJ is very key on it. This committee is cut across CSO, business and human rights institutions,” he said.
Support Independent Journalism
Your support helps FrontPage Africa continue delivering independent, credible, and impactful journalism. Every contribution strengthens our ability to investigate, inform, and hold power accountable while keeping quality journalism accessible to our readers.
Support our journalism or subscribe to receive the latest FrontPage Africa stories and updates.
