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Business

The paper discusses a voluntary business code of conduct based on the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights for non-extractive industries operating in weak governance zones. The paper argues that any code should contain practical guides that help industry deal with the complexities typically found in countries or locations where democratic governance has not been fully consolidated or where armed and social conflicts are ongoing.

The paper provides an overview of existing mechanisms which regulate businesses’ behaviour in weak governance zones. The paper emphasizes the usefulness of the “Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights”, because of because of their legitimacy and applicability.

The paper proposes that a code for companies in the sector that operate in zones of active armed conflict or fragile govern ability could contain the following elements:

• risk and impact assessment guidelines
• security guidelines
• non-payment of extortion
• human rights and transparency guidelines
• promotion of security standards for unionized labour
• concrete commitments by governments participating in the process.

[Note: the first part of the document is in Spanish and the second part is in English]

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