Ready to engage? An introduction for civil society organisations and other stakeholders on the role of business in fragile and conflict-affected settings

Ready to engage? New publication by SOMO and Oxfam Novib aimed at building bridges between civil society and the business community in fragile and conflict-affected settings

A large number of businesses are operating in Fragile and Conflict-Affected Settings  (FCAS) – either because conflict has broken out where they were already operating, or because they see opportunities for business in countries engaged in conflict or in a post-conflict reconstruction phase. 

A new publication by Oxfam Novib and SOMO (Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations) - as commissioned for the Civil Society Platform for Peacebuilding and Statebuilding (CSPPS) brings together the current knowledge on the role of the private sector in fragile and conflict-affected settings, as well as practical guidance on what civil society’s engagement with the private sector might look like. The report highlights two major contemporary discourses: business as a foundation for peaceful development versus business as a cause of conflict and violence in fragile states. As Mark van Dorp, expert on business, conflict & peace and author of the report, explains, “It is important to increase civil society’s engagement with companies, to ensure that businesses’ presence is not exacerbating conflict, but instead is doing no harm and potentially even contributes to peace and stability . This starts with a better understanding of the role of the private sector in fragile and conflict-affected settings. This knowledge can provide an entry point of engagement and can facilitate constructive private sector engagement. After reading this report, civil society leaders will be able to capture the essence of the debate on business, conflict and peace that has been ongoing for the last two decades.”

The paper is written specifically for members of the Civil Society Platform for Peacebuilding and Statebuilding, of which Oxfam Novib is a member. As Floortje Klijn, project leader at Oxfam Novib, explains, “Our local partners in conflict-affected countries are struggling with many different challenges, ranging from violent conflict, weak governance, sexual and gender-based violence, humanitarian crisis and climate change. Businesses are increasingly expected to show their corporate responsibility, especially in areas where the state is largely absent. The goal of the report is to enter the debate on the role that the private sector can play in these settings. Civil society's local knowledge, the interlocutor role they can potentially play between communities and companies, as well as their watchdog role, makes civil society a critical actor in ensuring businesses are conflict-sensitive and promoting a more peace-promoting role for private sector actors in FCAS.”

Please find here the remarks of Ben Miller, a Principal at CDA Collaborative Learning to the CSPPS Annual meeting in Addis Ababa.