Doha: The National Institution for Human Rights (NIHR) participated in the opening dialogue on business and human rights in the Arab region, organised by Qatar’s National Human Rights Committee (NHRC).
According to Bahrain News Agency, around 200 representatives from national institutions, experts, and academics attended the event. Ali Ahmed Al Derazi, NIHR Chairman, presented a paper on Bahrain’s approach to aligning business practices with human rights. He addressed the challenges and opportunities in integrating human rights into business and outlined NIHR’s initiatives to guide companies in adopting human rights practices through due diligence and impact assessments. These initiatives also included efforts in awareness-raising and capacity-building.
Al Derazi emphasised the role of national institutions in helping businesses align with international and regional standards. He highlighted NIHR’s initiatives to foster strategic public-private partnerships, which are crucial for the promotion of human righ
ts in business practices.
The two-day dialogue included general sessions, expert panels, and focused discussions on various topics such as corporate respect for women’s and children’s rights, labour rights, and the right to a clean, sustainable environment. The event aimed to facilitate a comprehensive understanding of the importance of integrating human rights into business operations.
This dialogue was held in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme, the Arab Network for National Human Rights Institutions, the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions, the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and UNICEF.