By INS Contributors

PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia--The government is on track in the development of the National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights (NAPBHR) which will be the first of its kind in Malaysia.

The Action Plan is expected to be launched by 2023 after a series of extensive engagements with all quarters.

The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament & Law) Dato Sri Dr. Haji Wan Junaidi bin Tuanku Jaafar in his keynote address at the National Conference on Business and Human Rights said “today’s conference resonates with me and my role as a Minister in charge of Parliament and Law, where I see it as my duty to uphold justice and the rule of law.

I am therefore excited to be a part of the development of Malaysia’s first National Action Plan for Business and Human Rights (NAPBHR)”.

The development of the Action Plan is led by the Legal Affairs Division, Prime Minister’s Department (BHEUU) and supported by both the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

NAPBHR will use the United Nations Guiding Principles (UNGP’s) which is built on three pillars namely “protect, respect and remedy” as a guiding document.

It covers the state’s duty to protect human rights; the corporate responsibility to respect human rights; and victims’ access to judicial and non-judicial remedies.

The Honourable Minister succinctly explained that “the development of our first Action Plan on Business and Human Rights will focus on three (3) thematic areas namely labour, environment and governance which were chosen after extensive engagements with stakeholders including various departments and agencies, industry players, NGO’s and CSO’s”.

He thanked the relevant agencies who have been appointed as lead agencies namely, Ministry of Human Resource (MOHR), Ministry of Environment and Water (KASA), and the National Center for Governance, Integrity and Anti-Corruption (GIACC) for their support and cooperation.

He described this landmark event as a platform for the meeting of minds from various sectors and industries to deliberate on what is required for Malaysia in the development of the Action Plan.

The Honourable Minister concluded by reiterating the importance of strong collaboration between all relevant agencies and active participation from the private sector towards the development of the Action Plan.

He stressed that “we cannot ignore the importance of having a comprehensive public consultation with all the relevant stakeholders during the development process where everyone’s views and opinions are taken into consideration”.

Towards this end, the two-day National Conference on Business and Human Rights: Towards the Action Plan for Business and Human Rights consists of plenary and parallel sessions.

It features prominent panelists from various backgrounds including government sectors, regulators, industry players, civil society organizations and international organizations.