Ahmed Mukhtar Naqshbandi
ISLAMABAD: With the assistance of the United Nations Development Program, the Ministry of Human Rights welcomed the Mission of the Government of Nepal for a peer learning session on the National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights.
The meeting was held to discuss the Ministry of Human Rights (2021–2026) draught and implementation processes for its National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights (NAP-BHR).
The UNDP Nepal and Pakistan organized a peer-learning exercise between the relevant departments of the two governments so that the Government of Pakistan could share its takeaways with the Government of Nepal since the Government of Nepal is currently drafting its own National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights.
Senior representatives from the National Human Rights Commission of Nepal, UNDP Nepal, the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security, the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, and the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Minister made up the Nepalese Mission.
As he welcomed the Nepalese delegation to Pakistan and opened the session, Ali Raza Bhutta, Secretary of the Ministry of Human Rights, said that such exchanges should take place frequently and that South Asian nations have much to learn from one another about development, human rights, and other policies because of their proximity to one another and shared values.
Top priority for the Ministry of Human Rights
NAP-BHR implementation is a top priority for the Ministry of Human Rights, according to Director General Muhammad Arshad. He added that during the present year, the Ministry is concentrating on countering discrimination, ensuring equal opportunity, and upholding human rights standards in businesses.
The Director of the Ministry of Human Rights, Shahzad Ahmed Khan, provided a thorough presentation on the creation and execution of the NAP-BHR at the meeting and shared the most important lessons with the officials.
The Nepalese government also presented key points from the first version of its action plan, outlining its thematic and priority areas, problems encountered, and implementation strategies.
The Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security, Mr. Jhakka Prasad Acharya, expressed his gratitude for the warm welcome provided by the Ministry of Human Rights.
He added that the goal of formalizing the informal sector and organizing the Inter-Ministerial and Inter-Provincial Steering Committee for implementing the National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights were two major lessons from this peer learning visit.
Additionally, he invited the Ministry of Human Rights to the 4th UN South Asia Forum on Business and Human Rights, which will take place in March 2023, so that participants might continue to learn from one another in the context of BHR.
The Secretary of the Ministry of Human Rights concluded the session by stating that the Government of Pakistan is willing to offer its assistance to the Government of Nepal in the form of sharing its experiences in developing their Action Plan on Business and Human Rights and extending best wishes to the Nepalese delegation in this regard.
Human Rights and Business National Action Plan (2021 – 2026) The Ministry of Human Rights developed Pakistan as a policy statement.
Protecting human rights in Pakistan’s business sector relates to 8 priority areas and 69 action items that strengthen adhering to the “Protect-Respect-Remedy” framework of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. You can view NAP-BHR at www.bhrpak.org.
