human rights and business roundtable

An Introduction

Human Rights and Business Roundtable

A Commitment to Dialogue by The Fund for Peace

The Fund for Peace is an independent, nonpartisan, 501(c)(3) non-

profit research and educational organization that works to prevent

violent conflict and promote sustainable security. We promote

sustainable security through research, training and education,

engagement of civil society, building bridges across diverse

sectors, and developing innovative technologies and tools for

policy makers. A leader in the conflict assessment and early

warning field, the Fund for Peace focuses on the problems of weak

and failing states. Our objective is to create practical tools and

approaches for conflict mitigation that are useful to decision-

makers.

Copyright © 2013 The Fund for Peace.

All rights reserved.

This program description is proprietary to The Fund for Peace.

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means

without prior written consent from The Fund for Peace.

The Fund for Peace Publication FFP : SHRTP1118 (Version 1304D)

Circulation: PUBLIC

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Human Rights & Business Roundtable

Overview

Launched in 1997, the Human

Rights and Business Roundtable brings

together multinational businesses, human

rights organizations and other stake-

holders to discuss issues of common

concern and explore possible solutions to

problems in conflict zones in an atmos-

phere of mutual respect, trust, and

confidentiality.

Today, the Roundtable focuses exclusively

on the extractive industry, although the

lessons learned and case studies of the

Roundtable provide value to all sectors.

The Roundtable is an invaluable resource

for corporations and NGOs to work

together to promote sustainable develop-

ment, the rule of law and open societies.

Guidelines

The overall goal of the Roundtable is to

promote the rule of law and open

societies. To do this we have a common

set of principles and have a sustained

dialogue over issues of common cause and

common concern. Members and guests of

the Roundtable must be able to speak

openly, frankly and in confidence in order

to identify ways to work cooperatively

together in the future to address issues

concerning human rights. To make this

possible, the Roundtable is guided by a

few ground rules.

The Roundtable is based on confidential-

ity. There is no attribution to individuals or

their organizations of what was said. If we

do issue a report, then only formal

presenters will be attributed and only with

their expressed permission.

Also, participants may have been invited

because of their position and affiliation,

but during the Roundtable views ex-

pressed by participants represent only

their personal views and do not reflect

upon their company or organization,

unless otherwise stated by the individual.

Everything discussed at the Roundtable is

voluntary – for example any proposals

brought forth here are not mandatory in

any way. And, moreover, any issue that is

in litigation will not be discussed. No party

to litigation that involves the companies,

organizations and/or projects participate

in Roundtable Plenary Sessions that relate

to such litigation.

Introduction & Contents

What Makes the Roundtable Unique 4

Activities & Benefits 5

Participants 7

What People are Saying 8

Beyond the Roundtable 9

About The Fund for Peace 11


• Corruption

• Security Threats

• Forced Labor

The Roundtable is…

Confidential

Now in its fourteenth year, the Roundtable

continues to successfully execute off-the-

record dialogues between human rights,

business, development, and legal experts.

Collaborative

The Roundtable’s agenda is set by and for

the participants. Our activities will

constantly strive to reflect the current

interests of our participants. The

Roundtable is an invaluable resource for

corporations and NGOs to work together

to promote sustainable development.

Constructive

The Roundtable’s Joint Principles prohibits

“naming and shaming”, allowing our

efforts to focus on joint advocacy,

education, and action. This method builds

the internal corporate social responsibility

capacity of each individual member while

providing the opportunity to make a

difference in the global community.

Cost-efficient

From high profile lawsuits to shareholder

resolutions, companies have recognized

that the cost of inaction is greater than the

cost of action. The Roundtable gives

corporate members a competitive edge by

reducing liabilities, strengthening

relationships to stakeholders, and

enhancing brand image. Together,

participants also strategize on how to

work collaboratively to address challenges

and risks associated with operating in

complex environments.

The Roundtable’s activities work to

develop solutions and anticipate future

problems on such issues as

• Revenue Sharing

• Forced Displacement

• Indigenous Rights


Why it is Unique


Members have unfettered access to

Roundtable Plenary Meetings that bring a

wide network of companies, non-

governmental organizations, government

representatives and international finance

institutions together for education,

problem solving, and action. As stated in

the Roundtable’s Joint Statement of

Principles, members enjoy an atmosphere

of mutual respect, trust and confidential-

ity. The agenda is set by and for its

members in order to address the concrete

issues faced by participating organiza-

tions. Plenary sessions take place once

every two months.

Topics for 2011 are currently being

developed with participants and will likely

address stakeholder engagement,

Voluntary Principles on Security & Human

Rights training, building local capacity for

community foundations, project-level

grievance mechanisms, developing

dialogues with public security forces, and

addressing challenges related to health in

isolated environments.

Sidebars

The Roundtable staff is always on call. We

are available to review policies and

training materials, discuss ideas, and help

identify partners. Upon request, special

sessions may be convened on an ad-hoc

basis to solicit input from key stake-

holders or to work through a pressing

issue confidentially. The experience,

expertise, and diverse perspectives of the

Roundtable help organizations work

through the toughest challenges pre-

sented by economic globalization. Each

corporate Roundtable member can

request, at no additional cost, one Sidebar

per year. Additional Sidebars can be

requested for an additional fee.

Globalization & Human Rights

The Globalization & Human Rights Series

covers issues related to the effects of

globalization that impact the lives of

human beings. Based on open-source

research but applicable to the themes of

the Roundtable, it seeks to inform a wider

audience about the issues discussed

within the Roundtable plenaries and in

other similar fora. Currently in the series

are papers on, “Economic Reform in Weak

States: When Good Governance Goes Bad,”

“The Effect of the Kimberley Process on

Governance, Corruption, & Internal

Conflict,” and “The Global Impact of State-

Led Energy Pursuits by China and India.”

The series is available on our website.

Off-Site Expert Sourcing

In addressing human right challenges, the


Activities and Benefits


Roundtable has the resources and

networks available to link its members to

the most relevant and credible experts.

The Roundtable’s experts help corpora-

tions better resolve conflicts associated

with post, current and potential invest-

ments. Our expertise covers such issues as

governmental corruption, human rights

training, relationships to security forces,

consultation and compensation to

indigenous communities, identifying local

and international partners, environmental

preservation, and revenue sharing

schemes.

Replication of the Roundtable

The Roundtable has been replicated in

Indonesia, thanks to a partnership with the

Public Health Institute. Focusing on

health, which the Fund for Peace recog-

nizes as an underlying condition of

conflict, the Health & Business Roundtable

Indonesia is already forging new partner-

ship to help provide sustainable health to

workers and communities in rural areas of

Indonesia. The Roundtable currently has

over 100 organizations as members.

Meetings take place in Jakarta once every

three months, although we hope that the

number will increase as well as the ability

to have the Roundtable meetings in other

locations around Indonesia.

Based on this experience as well as our

increased work with local civil society on

the ground, the Fund for Peace is eager to

explore opportunities to create full

Roundtables in other countries on specific

issues, such as health, which can help

build local civil society, relationships

between them and the private sector, and

build trust and understanding, including

with government as appropriate.

Corporate Citizen Training

Roundtable membership helps educate

corporations in the behavior and benefits

of being a good corporate citizen.

Roundtable membership allows corpora-

tions and human rights groups to

collaborate for preventative action rather

than clash on human rights issues. The

Roundtable can guide corporations on how

to better communicate and work with the

NGO community. The long-lasting

partnerships fostered by the Roundtable

sustain the integrity and fiscal health of

corporations’ current and future invest-

ments while promoting innovative

approaches to sustainable development.

Policy Drafting and Evaluation

The Roundtable works with its members in

Activities and Benefits



Participants

Current Participants


Barrick Gold ExxonMobil Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold

Hess

Kosmos Energy Marathon Oil Newmont Mining Shell

• 3P Human Security

• AES Corporation

• Africare

• American Petroleum Inst.

• American University

• Amnesty International

• Atlantean Corporation

• Center for Civilians in

Conflict

• CHF International

• Coalition for International

Justice

• Consensus Building Inst.

• Creative Associates

• Digital Globe

• Due Process of Law

Foundation

• Equitable Origin

• Foley Hoag

• Global Rights

• IDS International

• International Alert

• International Finance

Corporation

• International Stability

Operations Assoc.

• National Democratic Inst.

• National Mining Association

• NXG Global

• Pact

• Partners for Democratic

Change

• Partnership Africa Canada

• Public Health Institute

• Search for Common Ground

• Transparency International

• U.S. Agency for

International Development

• U.S. Department of Defense

• U.S. Institute for Peace

• The Walt Disney Company

• World Bank Group

Chevron Premier Supporter of the Human Rights &

Business Roundtable

Inmet Mining Premier Supporter of the Human Rights &

Business Roundtable

“We look forward to continuing to

develop the relationships and trust we

have established through the Roundtable,

and enthusiastically encourage others to

join this groundbreaking and useful

forum.”

Archie W. Dunham

Chairman, President, and CEO, Conoco

“The Roundtable provides an opportunity

to get a window into the decision-making

process. We hear about how business

representatives struggle within their own

organizations to raise these kinds of

issues; where the various points of

leverage and power are, as well as the

motivations behind working on these

issues. This information is valuable for

both sides to understand each other

better.”

Elisa Massimino

President and CEO, Human Rights First

“While we can meet with many of the

Roundtable participants individually -- and

often do -- the unique format of a trusted

environment where ALL of the parties

come together under one roof for candid

exchanges is extremely valuable to this

company. The Roundtable's place in

carefully balancing the views, perspectives,

and indeed, agendas of the various players

should not be underestimated or underval-

ued.”

Stephen Burns

Manager, Corp. Responsibility, Chevron

“At this time there is a gap between

government abuses and human rights

efforts to bridge this gap…and the only

way to cross that bridge is to bring in the

corporate community. I think your

Roundtable has tremendous potential.”

Jimmy Carter,

Fmr. President of the United States

“The Fund for Peace Human Rights and

Business Roundtable is the only regular

meeting place for corporations, human

rights organizations, and scholars in the

U.S.”

Andrés Peñate

Director of Int’l and NGO Affairs, BP

“The Roundtable has been useful because

it has allowed the participants to set the

agenda rather than coming in with a

strong agenda of its own.”

Mort Winston

Chair, Amnesty International USA

“The Roundtable is a truly significant

endeavor…It has rendered a tremendous

service …many of the Roundtable’s

objectives are fundamental to American

foreign policy”.

Paula Dobriansky

Former U.S. Undersecretary of State

for Global Affairs


Testimonials


The Fund for Peace has long

recognized that companies are an

essential part of creating sustainable

societies. Companies provide infrastruc-

ture development beyond their immediate

operations and support local economies

beyond direct employment opportuni-

ties. When operating in tense social and

political environments, however, compa-

nies can easily be seen as part of the

problem instead of part of the solution. To

operate effectively in areas lacking strong

government institutions and a respect for

the rule of law, companies need partners.

We have spent more than a decade

analyzing the best practices and lessons

learned from companies and their partners

through their efforts to increase a

company’s ability to operate with the

highest standards despite local obstacles.

Combining that experience, our extensive

global networks, and proprietary software

based on our conflict assessment

framework (CAST), FFP has developed a

suite of tools to help companies operate in

the most sensitive environments. Our tools

can assist companies to navigate through

complex situations. By turning challenges

into opportunities, companies can become

known as a good neighbor in the commu-

nities where they operate and a preferred

investor or supplier.

FFP frequently supports companies in their

development of the following activities:

• Human Rights & Security Polices

• Conflict and Human Rights Assessments

• Community Relations and Stakeholder

Engagement

• Monitoring and Reporting Mechanisms

The work of FFP places a heavy emphasis

on implementation. We aim to not only

pursue policy research and dialogue, but

to also follow through with implementa-

tion in the field.

Sustainable Development & Security

Beyond the Roundtable


Voluntary Principles on

Security and Human Rights

Initially conceived at a Fund for Peace


meeting, FFP is an active participant in the

Voluntary Principles on Security & Human

Rights. The Fund for Peace is proud to be

serving on the Steering Committee of the

Voluntary Principles for the 2011-12 term.

Through partnerships, we support

Voluntary Principles implementation by

companies. Working with both oil/gas and

mining companies, we have helped draft

human rights policies, created assessment

capabilities related to security and human

rights, undertaken conflict and human

rights assessments, and developed human

rights and Voluntary Principles training

materials.

In Indonesia, working with local institu-

tions we have helped develop one of the

most active national working groups to

encourage adoption of the Voluntary

Principles in Indonesia by companies and

the Indonesian government.

In 2010, we produced with our partner,

International Alert, a Guidance Note on

Implementation of the VPs at the National

Level, which is being applied in Indonesia,

Iraq and D.R. Congo.

Health & Business Roundtable

With our partner Public Health Institute, we

have replicated the Roundtable model in

Indonesia to support partnership develop-

ment to increase availability of resources

to improve health. Over 80 companies and

NGOs have joined the Roundtable in

Indonesia.

Sustainable Development and Sustainable Security


About

The Fund for Peace

The Fund for Peace

i s a n i nde pende nt ,

nonpartisan, 501(c)(3) non-

p ro f it resea rc h a nd

educational organization that works to

prevent violent conflict and promote

sustainable security.

We promote sustainable security through

research, training and education,

engagement of civil society, building

bridges across diverse sectors, and

developing innovative technologies and

tools for policy makers. Our programs fall

into three primary thematic areas:

• Conflict Early Warning and Assessment;

• Transnational Threats; and

• Sustainable Development & Security.

A leader in the conflict assessment and

early warning field, the Fund for Peace

focuses on the problems of weak and

failing states. Our objective is to create

p r ac t i c a l t o o ls a nd

approaches for conflict

mitigation that are useful to

decision-makers.

The Fund for Peace offers a wide range of

initiatives focused on our central objective:

to promote sustainable security and the

ability of a state to solve its own problems

peacefully without an external military or

administrative presence.

The Fund for Peace adopts a holistic

approach to the issues stemming from

weak and failing states. We work at both

the grassroots level with civil society

actors and at policy levels with key

decision makers. We have worked in over

50 countries with a wide range of partners

in all sectors: governments, international

o r g a n i z a t i o n s , t h e m i l i t a r y ,

NGOs, academics, journalists, civil society

networks, and the private sector.

Conflict Early Warning and Assessment

Transnational Threats

Sustainable Development and Security

www.fundforpeace.org

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