By Aruna Kamara In Bo
Human Right Youth Coalition- Sierra Leone (HYRC-SL) with Support from UNDP has engaged residents of Imperi Chiefdom in organizing a one day community gender sensitive forum on UN Guiding Principles on business and human rights and Sexual and gender Base violence and Sexual offences Act, 2019.
The training took place at the Old Skool Hall in Rutile, Imperi Chiefdom in Bonthe District last week Thursday.
In his statement, the National Coordinator of Human Rights Youth Coalition Sierra Leone Prince K. Kallon called on the Mining companies and the government to ensure that the rights of the people in the mining companies are not only protected but also respected.
According to Mr. Kallon, his organization is a local indigenous voluntary right based organization that strives to ensure equal enjoyment of fundamental human rights by all irrespective of age, sex, ethnicity, religion or political affiliation, adding that HYRC works in remote communities with young people and women who form the bulk of the population but generally marginalized and lack the requisite knowledge of the laws and basic human rights.
It is against this background, he noted his organization has received funds from UNDP to organize a dialogue meeting on gender sensitive forum on UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, related laws on Sexual Gender Base Violence and Sexual Offences Act 2019.
Mr. Kallon said that HRYC is a youth serving agency that is ensuring that the rights of the youths including women are protected in the country, adding that they have mounted a lot of advocacies for the e empowerment of the vulnerable people in the communities amidst the provision of paralegal services.
He said that they engaged the people including the land holder families in the mining communities in Imperi chiefdom and they raised a lot number of human rights violations including not involved in land agreements, pollution water of and the non-compliance of their Mining cooperate social responsibility.
Mr. Kallon said that they have to engage the mining companies and the Government for them to know the issues raised in the mining communities for their intervention.
He said that the government has the role to protect and the companies need to respect the human rights of the people, adding that the companies need to adhere to the polices about mining.
Mr. Kallon said that the people are not involved in mining agreement which should not be the case, noting that there should be review of laws and policies on mining agreement in order to benefit to people.
He said that a lot of the community people are exposed to health hazards and have largely affected their lives, pointing out that the relocation of people is a problem as the area for relocation are not have the basic necessities for their existence.
Mr. Kallon said that they will put in place grievance addressing mechanisms to ensure that the places where the multinational companies are operating are peaceful.
The lead facilitator, Mohamed E. Josiah said that the mining companies have their cooperate responsibility to respect, protect human rights and remedy, which should be part of the environmental impact assessment and their operation should not destroy the environment.
According to him, there should be structures to address abuse or violation of their rights including complaints address mechanisms need to be in place so that there will be respect and protection of human rights, adding that there should be grievance committee to look in violations or abuse of human rights.
“But if this is lacking will result to violence in the society which should not be the case, adding that they have received a lot of reports about multinational companies violating the rights of the people in the mining companies,’’ Mr. Josiah said.
He noted that States must protect against human rights abuse within their territory and/or jurisdiction by third parties, including business enterprises (Mining Companies). This requires taking appropriate steps to prevent, investigate, punish and redress such abuse through effective policies, legislation, regulations and adjudication.
The UN Guiding Principle he went on the States should set out clearly the expectation that all business enterprises domiciled in their territory and/or jurisdiction respect human rights throughout their operations and in meeting their duty to protect, states should: enforce laws that are aimed at, or have the effect of, requiring business enterprises to respect human rights, and periodically to assess the adequacy of such laws and address any gaps; ensure that other laws and policies governing the creation and ongoing operation of business enterprises, such as corporate law, do not constrain but enable business respect for human rights.
Provide effective guidance to business enterprises on how to respect human rights throughout their operations; encourage, and where appropriate require, business enterprises to communicate how they address their human rights impacts.’’
A participant, Musa Kpanabom said that it is good that the Human Right Youth Coalition is popularizing the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, because they lack the requisite knowledge on these UN principles which has empowered them to call for the protect our rights and know the responsibilities of the mining companies and the government to respect and protect their right.
Josephine Brima said that government and community stakeholders including CSOs should ensure that the mining companies live up to their cooperate social responsibility, adding that they are happy that the laws against sexual and gender base violence has been explained to our understanding including the gender laws.
She said they will make it known to the appropriate authorities about the SGBV cases as it need to be put in the mining communities.
There were also similar engagements in Lower Banta and Dasse Chiefdoms respectively.
