From Peace Negotiations to Stabilization and Reconstruction: the Role of Businesses in the Aftermath of Conflict

Over the past decade, the role of business in conflict-affected areas has received sustained attention, with guidance such as the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the OECD Guidelines, and the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights emphasizing the need for heightened due diligence, conflict sensitivity, and responsible security arrangements.

Taking stock of recent developments in the “business–peace nexus,” this discussion will examine both the established role of companies in conflict-affected areas and the emerging, but less understood, ways they can be involved in  peace negotiations and post-conflict reconstruction and what it could mean for peacebuilding actors on the one hand, and business actors on the other. Building on the panelists’ experience, particularly in the Syrian and Yemeni contexts, the session will discuss this relationship between business and peacebuilding, reflect on how this nexus compares to other frameworks such as the humanitarian–development–peace nexus, and explore the risks and opportunities of engaging business in negotiations and reconstruction. By bringing in perspectives from both peacebuilding practitioners and private sector actors, the discussion will highlight how these communities can rethink their approaches to strengthen contributions to sustainable peace and the prevention of renewed violence.