NHRC, India’s core group meeting on business and human rights suggests mapping supply chains to enhance transparency in operations integrating human rights processes

Press Release

National Human Rights Commission

New Delhi, 18th July, 2024

NHRC, India’s core group meeting on business and human rights suggests mapping supply chains to enhance transparency in operations integrating human rights processes

NHRC, India Acting Chairperson, Smt Vijaya Bharathi Sayani reaffirms the Commission’s commitment to safeguarding human rights across diverse sectors

Businesses expected to take accountability for human rights issues with regular updation and revision of policies and regulations to ensure alignment with global human rights standards

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India convened a meeting of the Core Group on Business and Human Rights to discuss Safeguarding Dignity: Human Rights Due Diligence across Supply Chains. Chairing the meeting, NHRC, India Acting Chairperson, Smt Vijaya Bharathi Sayani highlighted the importance of respecting human rights, including labour rights in business and their alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). She noted that most of the SDGs' targets correspond to human rights obligations. She emphasized the need for businesses to integrate human rights protection into their organizational culture to operate sustainably and extend these principles throughout their supply chains.

Smt Vijaya Bharathi Sayani said that the NHRC, India is committed to taking up the issues of human rights violations at businesses with the concerned government authorities. In this context, she highlighted the recent suo motu cognizance taken by the Commission of the reported anti-labour practices at Amazon's warehouse in Haryana and discriminatory practices at Foxconn, a prominent manufacturer of Apple devices in Tamil Nadu. She said that such actions reaffirm NHRC's commitment to safeguarding human rights across diverse sectors, ensuring that everyone is treated with dignity and fairness.

Earlier, Shri Bharat Lal, Secretary General, NHRC in his opening remarks emphasized that fundamental rights are at the core of the Constitution of India, with the preamble serving as its soul. He highlighted the risks faced by gig workers who deliver food in the shortest possible time exposing themselves to road accidents and stressful conditions that also cause mental health issues.

Shri Lal emphasized the critical need for improved human rights conditions in both the service and manufacturing sectors, stressing that inequality and exploitation should have no place in society. He advocated for a competitive economy and business environment that anticipates and mitigates future barriers, ensuring that human rights are universally enjoyed by all.

Before this, giving an overview of the meeting, Shri Devendra Kumar Nim, Joint Secretary elaborated the theme of the discussion 'Safeguarding Dignity: Human Rights Due Diligence across Supply Chains' to cover a range of aspects related to human rights and business practices including the ‘Importance and key features of human rights due diligence’, ‘Understanding and identifying gaps and challenges in existing systems’ and ‘Emerging good practices and the way forward.’

Shri Nim said that in a globally interconnected economy, pursuing profit should never compromise fundamental human rights. He underscored the collective responsibility to ensure that businesses respect and uphold the inherent dignity and rights of all individuals involved by implementing human rights due diligence (HRDD) in their operations. He expressed the hope that the discussion will come up with concrete suggestions, which may be further deliberated upon by the Commission to make necessary recommendations to the government.

The participants included, among others, Shri Ajay Bhatnagar, Director General (Investigation), Shri Joginder Singh, Registrar (Law), Smt Anita Sinha, Joint Secretary, representatives of the Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Department of Public Enterprises, Securities & Exchange Board of India, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry, National Council for Legal Affairs and Regulatory Reforms, CII-ITC Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Development, UNDP, International Labour Organization, NGOs, academia, and eminent subject-matter experts.

Some of the key suggestions that emerged from the discussions were as follows;
• Implement robust training and capacity-building programs for stakeholders;
• Map supply chains to enhance transparency in operations, and integrate human rights processes within these chains;
• Businesses should take accountability for human rights issues and regularly update and revise policies and regulations to ensure alignment with global human rights standards.

****