The Chairperson of the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC), Mariam Fauzat Wangadya, has urged businesses to uphold human rights in their practices in order to create a safe working environment for employees.
Wangadya made these remarks at the 6th Annual Symposium on Business and Human Rights in Uganda on October 4, 2024, at the Sheraton Hotel in Kampala.
According to Wangadya, stakeholders, including employers and employees, should not only execute businesses that balance economic liberalization but also uphold human rights.
“Businesses should carry out Cooperative Social Responsibilities (CSR) to identify any harm they cause to their workers and neighborhood and actively work to avoid that. I am happy that Total Uganda and EACOP are taking steps to acknowledge their human rights responsibilities. We encourage other businesses to follow suit,” she said.
Wangadya urged the leaders of the private sector to collaborate with the Human Rights Commission in establishing campaigns promoting responsible business conduct and exploring strategies to bridge the remaining gaps on human rights violations in businesses.
“I am confident that with such a move and through this symposium, we can develop strategies that will bring us closer to a future where all business is responsible and respectful of human rights,” she added.
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The Resident Representative of Belgium Development Agency in Uganda (ENABEL), Tom Vanneste, noted that Uganda and Belgium are part of the 34 countries that have that National Action Plan (NAP) program for business human rights.
“With the adoption of NAP, ENABEL and the European Union are investing a lot in creating jobs in Uganda but also helping businesses distinguish between ethical and unethical practices in upholding human rights in business practices. We help businesses distinguish between what’s child labor and what’s not, what’s a descent job and what’s not, etc,“ he noted.
The two-day, annual symposium on businesses and human rights in Uganda, running from November 4-5, 2024, under the theme Emerging Voluntary and Mandatory Frameworks, Strengthening Responsible Business Conduct in Uganda, is meant to unite all stakeholders involved to evaluate the progress made in implementing the NAP on business and human rights.
