The right to health constitutes one of the basic and inalienable rights inherent in every human irrespective of any distinctive characteristics. Many international, regional, and domestic legal instruments recognize health as a fundamental human right. The realization of this right, however, depends largely on underlying determinants of health, such as the availability of health facilities and services and specific socioeconomic conditions within which humans can live a healthy life, including access to safe and potable water, timely and affordable healthcare, and a healthy environment, among others. Focusing on the environment as a determinant of health, this chapter discusses the adverse impact of the petroleum industry on the Nigerian environment and the multiplier effects on the health of the inhabitants of oil-producing communities. Further, this chapter highlights the corporate responsibility of the Nigerian petroleum industry to respect the human right to health within the Ruggie Framework and its Guiding Principles. In so doing, this chapter highlights practical steps and strategies that may be adopted by the industry to enhance the realization of the human right to health in Nigeria.

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The Corporate Responsibility to Respect the Human Right to Health in Africa: A Case Study on the Nigerian Petroleum Industry

  • Opeyemi Y. Omotuyi

摘要

The right to health constitutes one of the basic and inalienable rights inherent in every human irrespective of any distinctive characteristics. Many international, regional, and domestic legal instruments recognize health as a fundamental human right. The realization of this right, however, depends largely on underlying determinants of health, such as the availability of health facilities and services and specific socioeconomic conditions within which humans can live a healthy life, including access to safe and potable water, timely and affordable healthcare, and a healthy environment, among others. Focusing on the environment as a determinant of health, this chapter discusses the adverse impact of the petroleum industry on the Nigerian environment and the multiplier effects on the health of the inhabitants of oil-producing communities. Further, this chapter highlights the corporate responsibility of the Nigerian petroleum industry to respect the human right to health within the Ruggie Framework and its Guiding Principles. In so doing, this chapter highlights practical steps and strategies that may be adopted by the industry to enhance the realization of the human right to health in Nigeria.