IHRB Joins the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights

The Voluntary Principles initiative (VPs) was established in 2000 to guide companies in maintaining the safety and security of their operations within a framework that encourages respect for human rights. Participants in the VPs initiative include companies, governments and civil society as well as a group of observing organisations, which includes the International Committee of the Red Cross, the International Finance Corporation and the International Council of Mining and Metals.

Members of IHRB staff, research fellows and board members have been actively engaged with the VPs process at various stages. IHRB is committed to the initiative’s objectives and to connecting its work to ongoing IHRB programmes and activities.

As IHRB’s Executive Director John Morrison noted:

“We are honoured to be joining all those involved in furthering the mission of this important multi-stakeholder initiative in the human rights field. Our interest in becoming an observer to the VPs initiative now is in part connected to our developing work with the emerging oil and gas sector in Kenya and East Africa through the ‘Nairobi Process: A Pact for Responsible Business’. This new project being developed by IHRB in cooperation with the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, was launched in 2013 with the mission of applying human rights due diligence to the very early stages of oil and gas exploration in Kenya. All actors involved in the Nairobi Process have highlighted the need to prioritize capacity-building and effective action on security related issues. We have already promoted the VPs as providing critical guidance for companies, government officials and civil society actors. Our plans for the Nairobi Process include further awareness raising on the VPs and other relevant standards and we welcome opportunities to collaborate with VPs participants in these efforts.”

IHRB looks forward to taking part in the upcoming VPs annual plenary meeting in Switzerland and to working with the UK Government as it assumes the chair of the VPs initiative for the coming year.