Conflict-Sensitive Human Rights Due Diligence for ICT Companies

Authors

• BSR Staff

  

The last decade has seen increases in state fragility and the number of violent conflicts around the world and a decrease in the rule of law. Conflict-affected and high-risk markets are often characterized by serious human rights violations and severe harm to individuals—including loss of life, basic freedoms, or livelihoods.

Companies operating in these contexts face heightened risks of being involved with those human rights harms, and the tech industry has a particularly complex nexus to conflict and instability. 

Our toolkit provides analytical and operational decision-making guidance for tech companies on navigating conflict-related issues. It is intended to help these companies determine:

1. What key systems and processes they need to have to detect and address human rights risks during conflict;

2. What situations and contexts should trigger heightened due diligence practices; and

3. What enhanced or heightened due diligence should entail

We’ve also developed a short Accompanying Primer that summarizes this guidance and can serve as a rapid reference framework for companies as they build out these processes.