Fact Sheet on Human Rights Defenders and Responsible Security Management

In June 2022, DCAF, the ICRC, and the GCBHR will launch cutting-edge practical guidance for companies on responsible security management: The Security and Human Rights Toolkit.

This week, DCAF, ICRC and the GCBHR are releasing the human rights defenders fact sheet as a ‘sneak preview’ of the revised Toolkit. The term ‘human rights defenders’ refers to a range of people who peacefully stand up in defence of human rights, whether individually or collectively. Companies often have a tense relationship with human rights defenders. Many cases have been documented of companies and their security providers implicated in targeting human rights defenders with harassment, intimidation and violence.

The social licence of companies to operate depends on good relations with civil society and constructive engagement with human rights defenders. Human rights defenders can also support a company’s human rights due diligence.

This week’s fact sheet features an example from an extractive company. It discusses concepts such as:

• How can companies ensure their security arrangements do not exacerbate tensions with human rights defenders?
• How can companies constructively engage with human rights defenders as allies and not adversaries?
• How can companies formalise and operationalise their commitment to respect the rights of human rights defenders?

Read the fact sheet here!

Security & Human Rights Toolkit Launch Event: 16 June 2022

Join us for our launch event to celebrate the launch of the revamped Toolkit

Register here

The webinar will explore innovative multi-stakeholder approaches taken by companies, governments, and civil society to address human rights challenges in complex environments. The webinar will also demonstrate how the new edition of the Toolkit can help companies surmount challenges with public and private security, engage with concerned communities and develop security arrangements with host States.

The new edition of the Toolkit on Addressing Security and Human Rights Challenges in Complex Environments supports and guides companies in how to responsibly organise their security arrangements. The Toolkit helps companies identify and mitigate human rights risks related to operational environments where social tensions or armed conflicts occur and where governance and rule of law are weak. The updated version of the Toolkit will feature new case studies, tested good practices, resources, tools and fact sheets that provide concise, practical guidance on a series of key concepts connected to responsible security practices.

Previous Fact Sheets

• Armed conflict and responsible security management
• Human rights due diligence
• Complex environments
• Gender
• Artisanal and small-scale mining
• Indigenous peoples

Upcoming Toolkit Thursdays

From next week until launch, DCAF, ICRC and the GCBHR will be releasing case studies from the Toolkit!

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Case Study on Multi-Stakeholder Working Groups and Responsible Security Management

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Fact Sheet on Indigenous Peoples and Responsible Security Management