Human Rights & Business in Kenya

Agenda

1.What are Human Rights?

2.Why are Human Rights important to Business?

3.Human Rights Challenges in Kenya

4.Group Discussions

What are human rights?

“Human rights are universal legal guarantees protecting individuals and groups against actions which interfere with fundamental freedoms and human dignity”

— Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF

HUMAN RIGHTS (1948)

INTERNATIONAL COVENANT OF CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS (1966)

— 153 countries

INTERNATIONAL COVENANT ON ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS (1966)

— 149 countries

Source of Human Rights

ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles

and Rights at Work (1998)

Exercise on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)

• Right to a fair trial

• Right to adequate health

• Right to adequate food

• Right to adequate housing

• Right to adequate standard of living

• Right to education

• Right to family life

• Right to freedom from discrimination

• Right to freedom from forced labour and servitude

• Right to freedom from torture, or degrading treatment or punishment

• Right to freedom of assembly and collective bargaining

• Right to freedom of movement

• Right to freedom of opinion, expression, thought, and religion

• Right to intellectual property

• Right to life, liberty and security of person

• Right to own property

• Right to participation in cultural life

• Right to privacy

• Right to take part in government

• Right to work and to just and favourable conditions at work

1. Please choose three rights that you consider to be the most important overall

2. What do you think, how many of these rights are also mentioned in the Kenyan

Constitution?

Food - Water - Health Housing - Education - Work

Fair Trial - Thought Religion – Expression - Assembly - Association

Culture - Political Participation - Family Privacy

CIVIL LIBERTIES BASIC NEEDS

Life - Liberty - Security - Movement Slavery - Torture

BODILY INTEGRITY

What are Human Rights?

Why are human rights important to business?

• Compliance with laws

• Satisfying customer concerns/reputational risks

• Building strong ties to the community

• Business relationships

• Working environment

Why are Human Rights important to Business?

Human Rights Challenges in Kenya

LABOUR ISSUES VULNERABLE GROUPS IN THE

WORKPLACE The right to freedom from

discrimination

CHILD LABOURThe right to education; The right to

work and just and favourable conditions of work

FORCED LABOUR The right to freedom from

forced labour and servitude

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY

The right to health; The right to work and just and favourable conditions of

work

TRADE UNIONS The right to peaceful assembly and

freedom of association

WORKING CONDITIONSThe right to work and just and favourable conditions of work

COMMUNITY IMPACTS VULNERABLE GROUPS IN

THE COMMUNITY The right to freedom from

discrimination

ENVIRONMENT The right to health;

The right to adequate food;

LAND & PROPERTY The right to own property

REVENUE TRANSPARENCY & MANAGEMENT

The right to an adequate standard of living;

The right to take part in government

SECURITY & CONFLICT The right to freedom from torture;

The right to life, liberty and security of person

Group Discussions