Business, Human Rights and Conflict-Affected Regions

Completed in June 2022

The United Nations (UN) Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) provide a global normative framework, backed by UN member states, that clarifies state duties and business responsibilities related to business related-human rights abuse. They are the common reference point for efforts to address adverse human rights impacts arising in a business context and have been widely integrated into both public and private sector policy frameworks.

These principles are of particular importance in conflict-affected regions, where the worst forms of business-related human rights abuse tend to happen.

As part of its mandate to promote the UN Guiding Principles, the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights (UNWG) published a report aimed at clarifying the practical steps that states and business enterprises should take to implement the UNGPs in conflict and post-conflict contexts.

The report Business, Human Rights and Conflict-Affected Regions: Towards Heightened Action (A/75/212) identifies a series of policies and tools to ensure that business activity does not lead to human rights abuse, stimulate or exacerbate conflict or hinder peacebuilding. It also highlights two areas requiring further work: the need for more granularity in the existing guidance for states, businesses, and other relevant actors; and the need to continue addressing existing gaps and policy misalignments across the various actors.

The Research

This research aimed at supporting the UNWG to develop specific guidance for states, international and other organizations, and businesses in order to foster business respect for human rights in conflict-affected regions. It is part of a wider engagement with various UN Special Procedures that involve reinforced research, stakeholder outreach, and organization of Geneva-based events and consultations.

OUTPUT

Guidance to Ensure Business' Respect for Human Rights in Conflict-Affected Regions

The research addressed the following key questions that supported the development of concrete guidance to avoid business-related human rights abuse in conflict and post-conflict settings:

  • What are the appropriate policies, regulations, and adjudication to protect against corporate-related human rights abuses in conflict and post-conflict situations?
  • What specific measures should businesses take in conflict and post-conflict situations, including implementing ‘enhanced due diligence?
  • What is the role and what actions should be taken (and avoided) by actors in the traditional peace and security architecture, including key UN actors such as OHCHR, UNDP, DPPA, the Peacebuilding Support Office, and the Peacebuilding Commission as well as the Security Council?
  • What is the role of business in transitional justice?

This research has notably been taken into account in the UNWG and UNDP novel Guide on Heightened Human Rights Due Diligence for Business in Conflict-Affected Contexts that offers guidance to businesses and other actors on how to meet their responsibilities to carry out a heightened version of human rights due diligence in conflict-affected areas.

MORE ON THIS THEMATIC AREA

Books' pile and a laptop News

Few Places Left: Online Executive Master in International Law in Armed Conflict

20 June 2023

We have a few places left for the coming academic year that will start at the end of September 2023.

Read more

Portrait of Vance Culbert News

Our New Visiting Fellow: Vance Culbert

27 July 2023

Vance Culbert is a senior development and humanitarian professional who has managed operations for NGOs and UN agencies over the past twenty years. He just started as a Visiting Fellow at the Geneva Academy and will stay with us until the end of October.

Read more

Closeup of the Meta sign at the entrance to the Meta Platforms headquarters in Menlo Park, California. Event

A New Human Rights Tribunal in Town? The Oversight Board and the Future of Online Freedom of Expression

18 October 2023, 18:00-19:30

This Human Rights Conversation will explore the extent to which an independent mechanism such as the Meta Oversight Board is akin to a human rights tribunal and the risks that could be linked to delegating such powers to a private authority.

Read more

New York City Manhattan with view of Un Headquarters Event

2023 Annual Conference: Connecting Geneva and New York for Enhanced Human Rights Protection

21-24 October 2023

The Annual Conference of the Geneva Human Rights Platform will take place in New York to explore the links between Geneva and New York, the relevance of Geneva's outputs in New York debates, and the implications for human rights.

Read more

Garment workersto receive food from their factory during lunch time. This food is freely provided by their factory in order to ensure that workers eat healthy and hygienic food. Training

Business and Human Rights

Fall 2024

This training course will examine how the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights have been utilized to advance the concept of business respect for human rights throughout the UN system, the impact of the Guiding Principles on other international organizations, as well as the impact of standards and guidance developed by these different bodies.

Read more

Afghanistan, Parwan detention facility. Inside a room where detainees of the prison, separated by an acrylic glass, are allowed to meet with their families a couple of times per year with the help of the ICRC employees who facilitate the programme. Short Course

Preventing and Combating Terrorism

25 April - 17 May 2024

This online short course discusses the extent to which states may limit and/or derogate from their international human rights obligations in order to prevent and counter-terrorism and thus protect persons under their jurisdiction.

Read more

Online folders Project

Digital Human Rights Tracking Tools and Databases

Started in March 2023

This initiative wishes to contribute to better and more coordinated implementation, reporting and follow-up of international human rights recommendations through a global study on digital human rights tracking tools and databases.

Read more

First annual conference of the Geneva Human Rights Platform Project

The Annual Conference of the Geneva Human Rights Platform

Started in June 2019

Read more

Cover page of the Working Paper Publication

Exploring Counterterrorism Effectiveness and Human Rights Law

published on September 2023

Gloria Gaggioli, Michael Moncrieff , Ilya Sobol

Read more