The United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights have become a reference framework for companies wishing and needing to take human rights and their impact on human rights into account.

Based on the premise that there is a high risk of " companies becoming involved in grave human rights abuses […] in contexts affected by armed conflicts and other situations of widespread violence ", the United Nations Development Programme and the Working Group on Business and Human Rights drafted a Guide to Heightened Human Rights Due Diligence for Business in Conflict-Affected Contexts in 2022.

This Guide, whose objective is "avoiding or mitigating negative impact [on human rights] that a business can cause, contribute to, or be directly linked to", could be a companion for companies operating in sensitive contexts.

The energy and digital transitions are creating an unprecedented need for critical metals and minerals. Electric vehicles, wind turbines and batteries are just some of the goods for which they are essential to manufacture and use. While mining projects are being developed in France and Europe, geological resources mean that supplies have to be sourced abroad, including in areas where governance is sometimes unstable. For manufacturers and investors alike, getting involved in the extraction of critical metals and minerals means taking into account the risks associated with operations in armed conflict zones.

9 steps for boards to improve compliance in the face of armed conflict

Companies have recently been facing increasing scrutiny as a result of their operations in armed conflict zones. It now appears essential to account for this nascent risk with robust solutions. We outline nine steps that may contribute to improving a company’s compliance with domestic and international laws of armed conflict.