Our Business and Peace programme aims to advance the role business can play, either individually or collectively, to promote peace in conflict-prone areas and situations.

In our experience, business can make a positive difference to peacebuilding and reconstruction efforts first and foremost by running a profitable and responsible business. This means generating income and investment, taking care of employees, adhering to international and national regulations and standards, and producing safe and appropriate products/services.

But as well as doing no harm, companies also have an opportunity to act positively. Beyond running a successful business, companies operating in areas of conflict often have a strong incentive and the capacity and know-how to play a more active part in broader economic, social and environmental development.

Through the Business and Peace programme, IBLF has:

1. Engaged directly with companies to build capacity to manage conflict and security risks
2. Produced practical tools that help companies develop and implement conflict sensitive strategies, and
3. Facilitated discussion among multinational companies, government, NGOs and donor agencies to further good practice.

Regional initiatives

Sudan - IBLF is working with the United Nations and multinational companies to develop a dialogue between civil society, business, local and national government bodies on how companies can operate in zones of conflict.

Democratic Republic of Congo - IBLF is working with Business Action for Africa to bring together businesses operating in the DRC to establish how companies can collaborate to strengthen local communities ad advocate systemic change at local, national and international levels. Download a report for more information

Balkans - IBLF works with a number of partners in the region to foster socially responsible business practices – which can contribute to post-war reconciliation, economic re-integration and long-term development – through awareness-raising and  training activities for partnership practitioners and CSR managers. More on IBLF's work in the Balkans

Colombia - IBLF collaborates with local and international partners to understand how business can help mitigate the impacts of conflict in Colombia. A series of round-table meetings bring together private sector, government and civil society representatives to discuss the challenges of doing business in Colombia and to share good practice. More on IBLF's work in Colombia

Nigeria - IBLF has been involved in Nigeria since the early 1990s, when it worked with Shell on issues such as human rights, conflict prevention and partnership capacity building with the United Nations. Our current work includes bringing together stakeholders from a range of sectors together to review implementation of the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights. The Principles are a unique multi-stakeholder initiative which aim to maintain the safety and security of extractive operations, whilst ensuring that human rights and fundamental freedoms are respected. IBLF co-manages the Secretariat for the Principles.

Philippines - IBLF works with local partner, Philippine Business for Social Progress, to co-ordinate a collective business contribution to conflict resolution and development in the war-torn areas of Muslim Mindanao. The aim is to improve the capacity of Mindanao business leaders, to give young Muslim professionals the chance to work as interns in leading companies, to build new business linkages between Mindanao and national and international companies and to address some of the barriers to trade. More on IBLF's work in the Philippines

The Business of Peace

In 2001 IBLF, in partnership with International Alert and the Council on Economic Priorities, published The Business of Peace - a 158 page report which demonstrates comprehensively the links between business and conflict. It shows why companies cannot afford to ignore the causes and costs of conflict, and shows what businesses can do to support confliction prevention and resolution.
The Business of Peace can downloaded for free; or visit IBLF's secure ecommerce site to buy a hard copy for £15.