CSBP and the extractive industries

The extractive industries (oil, gas, mining) have a particularly important part to play in conflict zones. Associated economic impacts can have a destabilising impact. Local populations are often excluded from discussion and decision-making around the control of natural resources and the inequitable distribution of wealth can lead to resentment, tensions and, often, violence.

If companies in the extractive industries don’t fully understand the environment in which they are working or the dynamics between their projects and the conflict context, the results are likely to be negative, both for them and for the local populations affected by their operations. It is in both their interest and in the interest of local stability that they work towards this understanding and adjust their practices accordingly.

Research and tools on conflict-sensitive business practice

Conflict-Sensitive Business Practice: Guidance for Extractive Industries is a set of tools for companies concerned about improving their impact on host countries to begin thinking more creatively about understanding and minimising conflict risk, and actively contributing to peace.

Developed over several years with the help and involvement of industry professionals, and in partnership with the UN Global Compact and International Institute for Sustainable Development, the guide provides practical solutions to the real problems faced by extractive industries and host societies.

We are now beginning to pilot the methodology with specific extractive companies, as well as adapting it into training materials. We are also about to develop a version of the guidance for communities in conflict-prone zones, as a step towards building local capacity to engage more constructively with companies.

Downloads

• Click here to download CSBP Guidance in one document (NB this is a large file - 1,456kb)
  
  
• Or download by section:
  
  SECTION 1: Preface and Introduction download
  
  SECTION 2: Operational Guidance Charts - brief overview of possible company/conflict issues that can arise at the different stages of oil, gas and mining projects download
  
  SECTION 3:
  Screening Tool - helps a company confirm whether the country is at risk of conflict
  Macro-level Conflict Risk and Impact Assessment Tool (M-CRIA) - an expert-led national and regional level context analysis. This further explores issues of concern raised in the screening and identifies potential interactions of the project with these issues
  Project-level Conflict Risk and Impact Assessment Tool (P-CRIA) - takes analysis of the potential interactions between the project and its context to a deeper level. Including processes for participatory analysis and decision making with stakeholders, this tool helps companies to build trusting relationships and design shared actions that prevent conflict and build peace
  download
  
  SECTION 4: Flashpoint Issues: Stakeholder Engagement, Resettlement, Compensation, Indigenous Peoples, Social Investment, Dealing with Armed Groups, Security Arrangements, Human Rights, Corruption and Transparency download

• Click here to order print copies (cost price + postage)
  
  
• Click here to order copies in Spanish
  
  
• Click on the following links to download pdfs in Spanish:
  Foreword
  Introduction
  Section 2
  Section 3: Screening Tool
  Section 3: M-CRIA
  Section 3: P-CRIA
  Section 4: Flashpoint Issues
  Section 4: Dealing with Armed Groups

To guide our future work with companies using these tools we have developed a set of Guidelines for Engaging Companies.

For more information contact Diana Klein

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Last updated: February 2006