Investor Responsibility in a Rapidly Evolving Arms and Defense Tech Sector: An Investor Briefing
On Thursday, November 5th, the Investor Alliance for Human Rights with generous support from the PeaceNexus Foundation hosted, "Investor Responsibility in a Rapidly Evolving Arms and Defense Tech Sector: An Investor Briefing."
Rising defense budgets and the rapid growth of defense technology have brought institutional investors into closer proximity to severe human rights and conflict-related risks, often without a settled methodology for identifying, assessing, or acting on them. This briefing introduced investors to the latest guidance developed to help identify, assess, and manage these risks.
Several major resources on investor exposure to conflict, the arms and defense sector, and dual-use and defense technology have recently been published or are nearing release. This session situated them within the broader guidance landscape, showing how they complement one another and how heightened human rights due diligence serves as the common thread running through all of them, from broad guidance on conflict-affected and high-risk areas (CAHRA), down to guidance specific to arms and defense, and further still to dual-use and defense technology.
During the session, investors gained a clearer picture of the guidance available to manage increased portfolio exposure and to inform responsible stewardship and engagement with portfolio companies exposed to defense, defense tech, and CAHRA.
We were joined by the following speakers, each of whom presented a newly published or forthcoming guidance resource, linked below:
Sam Jones, Heartland Initiative: Overview of The Working Group on Defense Tech & Responsible Investment and presentation of Investor Guidance for Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas: Portfolio Analysis and Company Engagement
Siniša Milatović, UN Development Programme: Investor Companion Guide: Translating the UNDP - UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights Heightened Human Rights Due Diligence Guide (soon to be released)
Dan Neale, Church Commissioners for England: Guidance for Responsible Investment in Defence-Related Companies (link is to the GRID Concept Note, with the Guidance soon to be released)
Ashleigh Owens, Shift: Weapons, Dual Use tech and Financial Institutions
Mauricio Lazala, Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: Information Note: Investors, the Arms Sector and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights
Ayla Prentice, PRI: Moderator and Commentary on Investor Resources
You can watch a recording of the event below and the slides presented during the event are attached to this webpage.