“Welcome Meeting of the JIA Business Association Residents and Roundtable Discussion on the National Action Plan Component - Business Responsibility for Human Rights Compliance”

LEX Law Firm, as a member of the JIA Business Association in the Kyrgyz Republic, participated in the Welcome Meeting of the JIA Business Association Residents and Roundtable Discussion on the National Action Plan Component – “Business Responsibility for Human Rights Compliance” on November 28, 2023. This event was held at the Novotel Hotel.

Azzambek Zheenbai uulu (Executive Director of JIA Business Association), Munara Muratalieva (Head of JIA Resident Relations Department), Gulnara Satybaldieva (Member of JIA Regional Council), Nazgul Karaeva (Member of JIA Regional Council), Bakytbek Sartmametov (Head of JIA Legal Support Department), additionally, approximately, 30 representatives of organisations and individual entrepreneurs representing small, medium and large businesses from various spheres (sewing shops, food production, production of building materials, construction of buildings and structures, etc.) from all regions of the republic. etc. from all regions of the republic participated in the roundtable, Members of the JIA Business Association in the Kyrgyz Republic.

The participants reviewed the Draft of the National Action Plan on the Responsibilities of Business to Protect Human Rights (hereinafter - the “Project”). The adoption of the Plan is aimed at fulfilling the international obligations of the Kyrgyz Republic within the United Nations framework and enhancing the level of our Republic in the international arena.

During the discussion, key points in the Project requiring changes and revisions were identified. In particular, business representatives asked questions and offered suggestions regarding the clarification of the status of certain institutions outlined in the Project. For instance, there were inquiries about whether the Corporate Governance Code, which, according to the Project, is intended to protect human rights (primarily those of employees and/or consumers), would be of a recommendatory or mandatory nature. Additionally, roundtable participants were interested in how and which government body would verify a company’s adherence to the Corporate Governance Code in terms of human rights protection, as well as other issues that arose during the discussion of the Project.

According to the representatives of the business community who spoke, the proposed version of the Project under discussion contains a number of contradictions and provisions that already exist in current legal norms (Constitution, Labor Code, etc.). Additionally, there are provisions that are purely declarative in nature and are unlikely to be implemented in practice.

Bakytbek Sartmametov, Head of JIA Legal Support Department, and a representative of the Public Foundation “Legal Clinic “Adilet”, one of the developers of the National Action Plan on business responsibilities to protect human rights, responded to the questions raised. They noted that the business community's proposals for amendments and additions to the Project would be reflected in this regulatory legal act.

LEX Law Firm expresses great gratitude to the JIA Business Association in the Kyrgyz Republic for the involvement and the opportunity to participate in this event, as we are always interested in legal reforms that can enhance the level of human rights protection in the country.