Investment in Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas – Investor Webinar
Where armed conflict continues to be pervasive, companies and investors must be aware of their risks, responsibilities, and legal obligations in relation to conflict.
The UN Guiding Principles for Business and Human Rights is the internationally recognized framework that encourages companies to exercise caution by undertaking heightened human rights due diligence (hHRDD) when dealing with investments in conflict-affected and high-risk areas, recognizing the potential risks that businesses face in instigating, contributing to, or exacerbating a conflict and associated human rights violations.
Acknowledging the reality of today’s increasingly conflicted world, the Investor Alliance for Human Rights hosted an investor webinar exploring new developments and guidance on Investment in Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas.
Aiming to provide practical guidance to the investor community, the webinar delved into the UNDP’s guidance on Heightened Human Rights Due Diligence for Business in Conflict-Affected Contexts and RIAA’s Investor Toolkit on Human Rights and Armed Conflict.
The webinar addressed questions such as:
Why should investors care about their portfolio companies’ exposure to armed conflict? What kinds of risks may their investments be subject to?
Why is there a need for hHRDD in conflict-affected and high-risk areas?
What do responsible investment activities look like prior, during, and after an armed conflict? What kind of leverage can investors bring to bear in each scenario?
How have investors communicated their expectations around hHRDD to their portfolio companies?
What kind of tools and practices have investors found most effective in their engagements? What do companies struggle with the most?
Participants engaged in an interactive discussion with our speakers about putting theory into practice in an increasingly conflict-ridden world.
Speakers
- Rebecca DeWinter-Schmitt (moderator), Associate Program Director, Investor Alliance for Human Rights
- Jake Barnett, Managing Director, Sustainable Investment Stratgies, Wespath Benefits and Investments
- Samuel Jones, Co-Founder and President, Heartland Initiative
- Siniša Milatović, Business and Human Rights Specialist, United Nations Development Programme
- Kate Turner, Chair - Armed Conflict subgroup of RIAA Human Rights Working Group, Responsible Investment Association Australasia
Background Materials
- United Nations Development Program and UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights, Heightened Human Rights Due Diligence for Business in Conflict-Affected Contexts