United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) provides measures and actions for businesses, governments, the investment community, and civil society, to follow through with in attaining peace and prosperity. This brief paper also summarises multi-stakeholder initiatives such as action platforms and principles, to support building and investing in peace.

Actions for businesses

As violent conflict is the largest barrier to sustainable development, encouragement is given in improved social and governance aspects such as implementing workplace programmes, and workplace policies that are inclusive towards religious, ethnic, and other group differences. To achieve sustainable development targets, stakeholders are recommended to develop policies that manage corruption and human rights issues. Conflict risk management procedures such as assessment and training programmes, are to be built into internal structures and control mechanisms.

Business operations should ensure supply chain management systems determine and assess how suppliers are obtaining raw materials and resources in areas that are affected by conflict. Revenue transparency measures are to be implemented, accounting for activities such as financing armed conflict and revenue capture. Organisations can prevent human rights violations by improving the overall security within the business, and training for issues of conflict resolution.

Businesses can take action towards peace by focusing on social investment and community engagement. Provide community support through peace negotiations, reconciliation, grievance and dispute settlement mechanisms, and collaboration with third parties to allow mediation and arbitration. Additionally, putting mechanisms in place to address community grievances, and facilitate dialogue for parties with a dispute or conflict to raise their concerns with a direction to resolution.

Actions for governments and the United Nations

Governments and the United Nations are integral in achieving a conflict-reduced future. The ten principles of the UN Global Compact are recommended, as they guide sustainability aspects relating to human rights, labour, environment, and anti-corruption. For greater stability and security, governments can provide reintegration programmes for former combatants, strengthen legal frameworks, integrate anti-conflict rulings, and provide transparency throughout revenue operations.

Actions for the investment community

For the investment community, conducting conflict-sensitive risk and impact assessments prior to investing is important. This can be incorporated alongside human rights, environmental and social impact assessment processes. Measures should be put in place that prevent illegal funding to armed conflict, and overall monitoring of all business transactions. The contribution to peace and security can be enhanced through the development of financial tools and mechanisms. Gender equality and women’s participation are critical predictors of stability and security, and investors can help close the gender gap by partnering with financial institutions and providing support to women and young entrepreneurs.

Actions for civil society

Measures that civil society can take include supporting the development of policies that focus on bribery prevention, and establishing management procedures which include risk assessments, training, and whistleblowing mechanisms to prevent corruption. Ensuring that post-conflict youth employment and reintegration programmes address stabilisation, reintegration and sustainable employment creation. Society members can participate in national dialogue and consultation processes to make sure national development plans align with community needs and priorities.

1. Violent conflict is in fact the biggest obstacle to sustainable development, and in 2016, the economic impact of violence was 14.3 trillion US dollars in purchasing power parity, which is equivalent to over 12% of the global GDP.
2. Gender equality and women's participation are critical predictors of stability and security. All investments, interventions and state-building processes in any operational context - including in fragile, conflict and high-risk areas - must be designed realising the role women can play as agents of change and with a view to addressing the needs of women and girls.
3. International frameworks for businesses to follow to help reduce conflict include the ten principles of the UN Global Compact, the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy (MNE Declaration) of the International Labour Organization.
4. Businesses should develop policies on corruption and human rights issues and put in place risk management procedures, including impact assessments, gender-sensitive assessments, training programmes and whistle-blowing mechanisms.
5. In their operations, businesses should implement revenue transparency measures to decrease the potential for revenue capture and rent-seeking behaviour, as well as the potential financing of armed conflict.
6. Businesses should focus on social investment and community engagement activities, to support peace negotiations, address grievances, and work in partnership with locals.
7. Governments and the United Nations are to develop policies, initiatives and conflict-sensitive standards to prevent, mitigate, and address conflict. They must strengthen international legal frameworks and work together against illegal trade.
8. The investment community should conduct conflict-sensitive risk and impact assessments prior to investing, improve communications, assist governments, and engage with investee companies on human rights policies.
9. Civil society should focus on employment creation and training, share local knowledge, create partnerships, and participate in national dialogue and consultation processes.
10. Businesses, governments, and society should ensure post-conflict youth and former combatants are sustainably employed and supported with reintegration programs.