Strategic Roadmap for Nepal: Integrating United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights into Domestic Law

Abstract

Taking the business sector in Nepal as a subject, we can observe that it is continuously growing. Nepal’s constitution has directed the economic objective of the state to achieve sustainable economic development with the involvement and participation of the public, private and cooperative sectors. Keeping this in mind, laws today can be seen as more receptive towards the contribution business sectors have to offer. There are laws in practice which promote competition and market promotion along with laws that govern foreign direct investments that directly affect the business sector. While there are laws that have created feasibility and growth of investments in the business sector, we can also see laws that regulate these businesses making sure that they ensure respect, protection and promotion of human rights.

This policy brief outlines the existing legal structure and analyses it in a perspective of integrating the loophole in a framework for business and human rights in Nepal. In a simpler sense, we cannot overlook the human rights issues that could arise through business practices in Nepal. It provides policy recommendations to the government as to actions that can be adopted going forward for developing a National Action Plan (NAP) on Business and Human Rights. It recommends that Nepal should initiate the process of adopting a NAP, ensuring transparency and participation of all relevant stakeholders.