To find out more about our past peace and economy projects, click on the links below:
 CONFLICT SENSITIVE BUSINESS PRACTICES 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.  CONFLICT SENSITIVE BUSINESS PRACTICES IN PROJECT FINANCE AND ENGINEERING While our focus thus far has been on extractive industries, the financial and engineering sectors also have an important part to play in preventing conflict. We are now beginning to work with financial institutions (private sector banks and insurers, public sector lending agencies) who invest in countries affected by conflict and engineering companies so that they become more aware of their impact on conflict and the role that they can play in building peace.  LOCAL BUSINESS, LOCAL PEACE: THE PEACEBUILDING POTENTIAL OF THE DOMESTIC PRIVATE SECTOR This publication highlights the domestic private sector’s often overlooked peacebuilding potential. Developed and researched with partner organisations and business people from conflict-affected countries around the world, it presents more than 20 case studies where private sector actors have taken proactive steps to address violent conflict in places as varied as Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Colombia, Guatemala, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Somalia and the South Caucasus.  CONFLICT SENSITIVE BUSINESS PRACTICES 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
To guide our future work with companies using these tools we have developed a set of Guidelines for Engaging Companies. CONFLICT SENSITIVE BUSINESS PRACTICES IN PROJECT FINANCE AND ENGINEERING
While our focus thus far has been on extractive industries, the financial and engineering sectors also have an important part to play in preventing conflict. We are now beginning to work with financial institutions (private sector banks and insurers, public sector lending agencies) who invest in countries affected by conflict and engineering companies so that they become more aware of their impact on conflict and the role that they can play in building peace.
Currently, our research on the role of financial institutions and engineering companies’ operations in conflict zones has been documented in the following publications: Conflict-sensitive project finance: Better lending practice in conflict-prone states (published September 2006) Conflict-sensitive business practice: Engineering contractors and their clients (published with Engineers Against Poverty, September 2006) Conflict and Project Finance: exploring options for the better management of conflict risks (a background paper) MORE
Our partners, Engineers against Poverty is a UK based international development NGO committed to producing practical policies and innovative solutions to support the alleviation and eventual ending of world poverty. Together with EAP we have produced a guidance note for engineering clients and contractors working in conflict zones. You can download a copy by following this link. Click
here to visit their website (website will open in a new window). The Institute for International Sustainable Development and the United Nations Environment Programme have recently published a paper that explores opportunities for financial institutions to manage interactions between finance and conflict. Click here to see it (this will open in a new window).
LOCAL BUSINESS, LOCAL PEACE: THE PEACEBUILDING POTENTIAL OF THE DOMESTIC PRIVATE SECTOR
This publication highlights the domestic private sector’s often overlooked peacebuilding potential. Developed and researched with partner organisations and business people from conflict-affected countries around the world, it presents more than 20 case studies where private sector actors have taken proactive steps to address violent conflict in places as varied as Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Colombia, Guatemala, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Somalia and the South Caucasus. In addition, the publication highlights businesses’ efforts to
support formal peace processes; to address issues in the economic sphere; to
build bridges between divided communities and groups; to alleviate security
concerns; as well as the special role of women entrepreneurs.
For local businesses that face armed conflict and want to contribute to peace, this study aims to provide ideas, strategies and encouragement drawn from the experience of others facing similar challenges. Local Business, Local Peace will also be of interest to those working to address armed conflict, notably individuals from governments and civil society, international and non-governmental organisations. For national and international actors seeking to strengthen the private sector’s contribution to development and economic growth, the publication is intended to act as a stimulus for thinking about new ways of working with the domestic private sector in conflict-affected societies. DOWNLOADSPlease note: each of the below links will open in a new window and requires Adobe Acrobat PDF reader. Click here to download a free reader from Adobe.
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