Security and human rights paramount to business growth - Nuamah

Mr Franklin Nuamah, Deputy Regional Manager, Site Services, Newmont Ghana Gold Limited, said the complexity of modern society necessitates maximum security to protect fundamental human rights to create enabling environment for businesses to thrive.

“The society we live in is now complex, there are unions who want their rights to be respected, there is high unemployment, businesses want to protect their installations, what do we do in such an environment?” he asked.

Mr Nuamah said this during the opening ceremony for the training of police officers on the ‘Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights’ at the Police College in Accra.

He said the traditional approach to security in mining companies focused on securing asset as its value increased exponentially.

But, increasingly in recent years in various locations, the security of people and non-product related assets had also become important to mining companies, he said.

He said Newmont was committed to working closely with the security services to advance the course of human rights in mining communities by respecting the rights of community members to create congenial atmosphere for growth and development.

Mr. Nuamah said the Voluntary Principles (VPs) on Security and Human Rights, established in 2000, is an initiative by governments and non-governmental organisations and companies.

He said the VPs were to provide guidance to extractive companies on maintaining the safety and security of their operations within an operating framework that ensured respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.

He said it was important for the police at the centre of law enforcement to be dedicated to the course of human rights and security, and that they needed co-exist with the communities to build consensus to facilitate information gathering.

Mr Nuamah said Newmont had embarked on an initiative dabbed; ‘Local Local Programme’ to engage community members in gainful employment and to deal with issues associated with the environment within the communities of operation.

Dr Emmanuel Kwesi Aning, Dean/Director, Faculty of Academic Affairs and Research, Kofi Annan International Peace-keeping Training Centre, told the Ghana News Agency that the voluntary principles on security programme was an interactive process to challenge the old ways of doing things.

He said the training was to equip frontline officers of the security to gain understanding of the voluntary principles and how they were applied in relation to security community relationship and human rights.

He said generally security dealt with different aspects of human endeavour such as politics, economy, environment and society that called for different security tactics to deal with each situation.

Mr Samuel Aning, Consultant, said the obligation to uphold human rights principles rested with governments.

He, however, said other actors in society, including businesses, had a moral responsibility to act in a way that did not negatively impact the enjoyment of human rights of those people directly affected by mining operations.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Kofi Boakye, Director of Training, said the training was vital to the officers given that Ghana was a democratic state where human rights issues were taken seriously.

He said understanding the concept of the voluntary principles on security and human rights would strengthen the police to effectively deal with crime control and to create a friendly atmosphere to allow people to go about doing their business without fear.

He said security was a proactive process that needed to be pursued and kept under review to guarantee its relevance and efficacy.