Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights: Implementation Guidance Tools
14 September 2011
This first-of-its kind set of tools is designed to help companies implement the Voluntary Principles (VP) on Security and Human Rights. Particularly aimed at those operating in areas of geographical conflict and weak governance, the tool contains four practical modules. These can be used either individually or together, offering useful guidance on many challenging business environments.
Summary
- From stakeholder engagement, exploring risk assessment and treatment to building public security strength and maximising support from private security; the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights (VPs) have been developed to help any company looking to ensure their operations are undertaken in a manner that safeguards respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.
- These VP implementation guidance tools (IGT) are non-prescriptive guides. These tools can be used individually or together to help maintain safety and security for company operations whilst ensuring respect for human rights and humanitarian law.
- The tools have been divided into four modules according to their main uses: stakeholder engagement, risk assessment, public security providers and private security providers.
- The first module, Stakeholder Engagement, provides steps to establish the foundation for the successful implementation of the other modules. However, each module can also be used independently as stand-alone toolkits for specific purposes.
- Recognising that the tools provided in the IGT are not designed to cover every conceivable situation in which the VPs could be applied, they are designed to help companies to implement the VPs in a variety of circumstances. The modules and tools in the IGT are guidance only – they are designed to facilitate and enhance sound judgement and decision-making, not replace it. The IGT is not designed to be prescriptive or formulaic.