It is essential to integrate human rights into business: Minister Bhandari

Lalitpur, Mar. 19

Minister for Labour, Employment, and Social Security, Sharat Singh Bhandari, said that to fully integrate human rights into its business landscape, a multilateral approach is essential.

"Collaboration, accountability, and strong commitments from both the public and private sectors will be key in aligning Nepal’s business practices with global human rights standards,” he said at the national dialogue on business and human rights jointly organised by the National Business Initiative (NBI), United Nations Development Programme and Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) in Lalitpur on Tuesday.

Minister Bhandari reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to implementing the action plan by working with stakeholders at all levels, from the federal to the local government.

Addressing the event, Attorney General Ramesh Badal has said that arresting the accused is not the only solution.

"So, we have directed the police not to arrest persons who are likely to get less than three years' term in jail if proven guilty. Mediation is promoted in such cases whenever possible," he said.

Badal also said that the number of cases regarding cheque dishonour has risen so massively that it would need human resource four time the current number if they were to be settled.

According to him, in today’s world, businesses cannot progress at the expense of human dignity. The protection and promotion of human rights is not solely the government’s responsibility, the private sector must also play an equally crucial role.

The dialogue was organised with the participation of stakeholders, including the government, national human rights institutions, the private sector, civil society organisations, and international development partners to discuss the measures to accelerate the implementation of Nepal’s National Action Plan (NAP) on Business and Human Rights.

It deliberated on responsible business conduct, ethical supply chains, corporate accountability, regulatory frameworks, and the government’s role in promoting human rights-friendly business practices.

Vice President of the NBI, Sukuntalal Hirachan, emphasised the importance of collaboration in addressing challenges and identifying opportunities for businesses to support human rights.

“This dialogue provides us with an opportunity to identify challenges and explore innovative solutions and best practices. Business success cannot be separated from its broader social impact,” he said.

Experts at the dialogue highlighted the necessity of integrating human rights into business operations, advocating for the prioritisation of human rights in business conduct based on the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), and emphasising the private sector’s decisive role in promoting responsible business practices.

Christopher Bahuet, Deputy Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), stressed the importance of multistakeholder engagement for effective implementation of the business and human rights framework.

The President of the NBI Kush Kumar Joshi expressed the private sector’s commitment to upholding human rights, promoting fair labour practices, protecting the environment, empowering marginalised groups, engaging with stakeholders, and ensuring transparency and accountability.

 Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 20 March 2025.