A Japanese project for human rights in companies begins in Mexico

Nestor Jimenez

Newspaper La Jornada
Wednesday, July 20, 2022, p. 10

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) began in Mexico, together with government agencies and the private sector, the Business and Human Rights (B+HR) project, financed by the Japanese embassy in 17 nations, with which they seek reproduce some of the practices of the Asian country in this matter.

As part of the project, José Luis Calderón, general director of Human Rights Public Policy of the Ministry of the Interior, announced that the agency will carry out a diagnosis to detect the challenges and advances in Mexico.

Meanwhile, Fernanda Hopenhaym, representative for Latin America and the Caribbean of the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights, urged that public policies in this area stem from agreements involving together at the same table government, business sector and social and community representatives.

In an interview, he explained that in Mexico there are several sectors with companies classified as high risk in terms of human rights: There we have the extractive sector of course, mining, the energy part due to the environmental impacts and the high level of conflict in the territories; in some cases the lack of prior, free and informed consultation in accordance with international standards and potential effects such as the human right to water.

There are also branches with risks, such as the tobacco industry, ultra-processed foods and sugary drinks, and others that occupy large extensions of territory and natural resources, such as agriculture and monocultures; in some cases tourism projects, which may have an environmental impact or displacement of communities.

The project consists of a risk mapping study; trainings in human rights due diligence, as well as offering closed-door guidance sessions to individual companies, explained Ha Phung, coordinator of the Global B+HR Program.

Noriteru Fukushima, Japanese ambassador to Mexico, argued that it is necessary to promote respect for human rights to generate peace.