Conflict situations heighten the risk of human rights violations. The broader and more severe a conflict becomes, the more profoundly it affects the functioning of society and the capacity of the state to protect its citizens.
Many conflicts also arise in geopolitically fragile regions, thereby increasing both the likelihood and gravity of potential human rights violations. Because conflicts’ negative effects on human rights are both diverse and far-reaching, all actors in society must carefully consider them in shaping their own actions.
Enhanced human rights due diligence (HRDD+), as distinct from standard corporate responsibility measures, places a heightened obligation on businesses to safeguard the security and welfare of people and communities in conflict zones. This encompasses decisions about whether to continue, modify, or withdraw business operations when the broader operational environment proves unstable. Central to this requirement is understanding the impact that a company’s activities and decisions may exert upon an ongoing conflict. Only secondarily should a company concern itself with a conflict’s potential consequences for its own commercial interests.
Crucially, enhanced human rights due diligence entails a specific duty to assess how a business’s operations may affect a conflict and, more pointedly, the individuals and communities involved. Businesses then bear responsibility to mitigate negative human rights impacts through all available means.
Every business decision—be it to carry on, adapt, or suspend operations—inevitably has some bearing on the conflict context. For example, a company providing essential goods or services might inflict significant harm on local populations by ceasing operations if no suitable alternatives are available. Conversely, a firm offering less critical services or products must carefully consider whether, in withdrawing, its equipment or resources might fall into the hands of actors perpetrating human rights abuses.
Conflict Preparedness:
ENHANCED HUMAN RIGHTS
In some circumstances, a company delivering socially vital goods or services may be able to wield its influence to help diminish adverse human rights impacts in a conflict zone. Yet making sound decisions in such high-stakes situations requires close and consistent engagement with both internal and external stakeholders. Crucially, a business should prioritise the minimisation of immediate human rights impacts, while simultaneously mapping out potential future risks that may emerge more gradually. Once urgent threats are addressed to the extent possible, attention can then pivot to long-term planning.
In addition to direct human rights effects, companies operating in conflict-affected areas must also remain cognisant of indirect impacts their operations might have on human rights. By adopting a conflict-sensitive approach and undertaking enhanced human rights due diligence, businesses can more effectively mitigate harm and shoulder their share of responsibility in upholding human rights, even under the most challenging circumstances.
For employees operating in conflict zones, it is advisable to grant them the opportunity to influence corporate decision-making in conflict situations, especially if the company itself lacks a strong familiarity with local cultural nuances. It is likewise prudent to maintain dialogue with authorities in both the home country and the conflict zone, seeking reliable sources of information, as information warfare poses an increasingly significant threat in conflicts.
A company that behaves responsibly in a conflict context benefits from decisive, well-organised action through improved stakeholder relations and a boosted reputation. Such advantages are often felt across the firm’s broader operations—indeed, companies that demonstrate responsible conduct in conflict situations are commonly showcased as positive examples once hostilities subside. For instance, the United Nations’ annual human rights forum in Geneva highlights businesses that have successfully aligned their commercial activities with the needs and welfare of populations living in conflict-affected areas.
