GOVERNMENTS, BUSINESS MUST WORK TOGETHER TO PROMOTE PEACE, SAYS PANEL CONVENED AT UN HEADQUARTERS

GOVERNMENTS, BUSINESS MUST WORK TOGETHER TO PROMOTE PEACE,

SAYS PANEL CONVENED AT UN HEADQUARTERS

NEW YORK, 28 April (Global Compact Office) -- Recognizing the growing link between violent conflict and poverty, an international panel of public, private and civil society leaders will today urge Governments to strengthen efforts to assist business in promoting peace, while also encouraging high-impact industries to more aggressively develop conflict-sensitive business practices.

“In recent years a growing number of companies have realized that it is in their enlightened self-interest to adopt a conflict-sensitive approach to minimize the risks they face in the global marketplace”, said Georg Kell, Executive Head of the UN Global Compact, which is convening the panel at United Nations Headquarters.  “But to succeed, Governments must provide wider public policy frameworks.”

In addition to Mr. Kell, the panel will feature Peter Maurer, Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the UN; Joël W. Adechi, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Benin to the UN; Albrecht von der Heyden, Minister Plenipotentiary, Permanent Mission of Germany to the UN; Jessica Banfield, Senior Programme Officer, International Alert; and Randall Gossen, Senior Vice President, Nexen Inc.

At the event, the panel will launch two relevant reports:  “Enabling Economies of Peace:  Public Policy for Conflict-Sensitive Business”, published by the Global Compact Office; and “Conflict-Sensitive Business Practice:  Guidance for Extractive Industries”, published by International Alert, the London-based non-governmental organization.

“Enabling Economies of Peace:  Public Policy for Conflict-Sensitive Business” identifies a range of concrete actions that Governments and international organizations can undertake to better assist private-sector efforts to promote effective conflict-sensitive business practices. 

“The recommendations focus on strengthening existing initiatives and developing mechanisms, by which current institutions of peace promotion can incorporate attention to the role of the private sector in conflict prevention and peace-building”, said Mr. Kell.

“Conflict-Sensitive Business Practice:  Guidance for Extractive Industries” presents comprehensive guidance for oil, mining and natural gas companies that are doing business or contemplating doing business in conflict-prone societies.  It is designed for field managers working across a range of business activities, as well as Headquarters staff involved in political risk assessment, security affairs, external relations and social performance.

“The adoption of conflict-sensitive business practice by extractive industries could be one step among many that are being taken to improve the chances that this armed and warring planet will steadily become a safer and more secure place”, said Dan Smith, Secretary General of International Alert.  “It is not now a controversial proposition to say that the private sector has a role as one of the factors that decide whether there will be war or peace.”

“Conflict-Sensitive Business Practice:  Guidance for Extractive Industries”, which contains risk and impact assessment tools for companies, builds on previous work undertaken by the UN Global Compact in this field.

Launched by Secretary-General Kofi Annan in July 2000, the UN Global Compact today includes more than 2,000 companies working with labour, civil society and Governments to advance ten principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption.  (See http://www.unglobalcompact.org.)

For more information, please, contact Gavin Power in the Global Compact Office, e-mail:  powerg@un.org; tel.:  +1 212 963-4681): or Matthias Stausberg, e-mail:  stausberg@un.org, tel.:  +1 917 367-3423.

* *** *