KATHMANDU: Supreme Court Justice Hari Prasad Phuyal has said that every business should be run in a human rights-friendly manner.

Addressing the ‘National Dialogue on Business and Human Rights’ organised by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) today, he stated that the business proprietors should take responsibility for human rights risks arising from business.

“Regulatory bodies should carry out monitoring in a fair and efficiently, and the affected individuals or communities should have a real chance to express themselves and get remediation. If rights are affected, the judiciary must serve as an independent, fair, and effective basis for constitutional protection,” he reminded.

Justice Phuyal said that instead of questioning whether business and human rights are a source of income, we should focus on how economic activities align with the constitution, human dignity, social justice, environmental responsibility and the rule of law.

“Development is about establishing the responsibility of the state and private sector towards human life, other species, the environment and surroundings; industries, businesses, and trade are not exempt from these responsibilities. Profit without accountability and responsibility is no longer possible, and for this purpose, the state must build an effective protective structure,” Justice Phuyal added.

He emphasised that the search for justice should not start only at the courtroom door but must be from the beginning in legal decisions, workplace behaviour, relationships with consumers, initial project studies, environmental assessments, community engagement, and the state’s regulatory practices.

Justice Phuyal believes that the human dimension of development is equally important and that the human dimension is connected to the workers who work daily in industries and their labour rights.

He said that development cannot be sustainable if it fails to balance economic gains with human dignity, and that economic progress separated from social acceptance, rule of law, and fair distribution ultimately needs attention as it can lead to disputes, mistrust, and inequality.

NHRC Chairperson Top Bahadur Magar said that while running a business, one should protect citizens’ rights as well as their right to live. He emphasised that the human rights aspect should be the main focus when running a business.

Dr Deepak Kafle, Secretary of the Ministry of Youth, Labour and Employment, said that businesses should focus on making workplaces human rights-friendly, including issues like safe working conditions, fair wages, respect and social security. He mentioned that the government has created an environment where those going for foreign employment can earn a decent wage and live with respect, and it rescues those who get into trouble.

Secretary Kafle mentioned that the government is planning to introduce the National Youth Act soon and said they will discuss it with all stakeholders to reach a conclusion on it.

Murari Prasad Kharel, the Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission, said that the commission is reviewing reports approved by the federal, provincial, and 753 local levels on business and human rights action plans and that it will also discuss with the concerned parties.