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The Business and Peace Taskforce is a high-level group of practitioners, scholars and policymakers convened to examine creative strategies the business sector could adopt to promote peace. Their initial findings and recommendations will be published by USIP in the summer of 2011. The Taskforce is co-hosted by USIP’s Center for Sustainable Economies and GWU's Institute for Corporate Responsibility.

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Background

Peacebuilding in conflict-affected regions requires much more than boots on the ground, peace accords, security arrangements and focused diplomacy. Practitioners, scholars and policymakers agree that success in this regard requires the effective leverage of all stakeholders – including the business sector. This would facilitate a lasting end to protracted and costly conflict, and deliver tangible peace dividends.

The Defense Department's 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR), the State Department’s inaugural Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR) and the 2010 U.S. National Security Strategy (NSS) all echo this theme. They acknowledge the importance of:

(a) the business sector playing a major role in solving strategic challenges and fostering peace (NSS, pg 13; QDR pg 13)

(b) leveraging the core competencies of the private sector in problem solving (NSS, pg 33; QDDR, pg 68; QDR, pg 13)

(c) tapping the business sector’s ingenuity and innovation in both processes and outcomes (NSS, pg 16; QDDR, pg 22)

(d) public-private partnerships as vehicles to institutionalize anti-corruption measures (NSS, pg 38; QDDR, pg 98)

(e) providing tangible peace dividends like jobs, income, wealth and services (NSS, pg 37; QDDR, pg 14)

While these documents all allude to a potential role for business entities in furthering stability and promoting peace, they provide neither a clear analysis of the issues involved nor specific guidance on workable solutions.

This business and peace initiative aims to help fill these gaps and demonstrate how peacebuilding processes could be more effective and outcomes more durable when the business sector is strategically engaged.

An overarching goal is the development of clear strategies to align commercial activity in conflict-affected states with mechanisms to avoid violent conflict and promote lasting peace.

Progress to Date

Since the summer of 2010, the Taskforce has held meetings and participated in the online eSeminar (14-25th March 2011) which focused on the following questions:

(1) How does business affect peace?

(2) How do business models adapt to overcome challenges in conflict affected states?

(3) How do domestic and regulatory arrangements impact profitability and competitiveness?

The eSeminar was held on the International Network on Economics and Conflict (INEC). A summary of the eSeminar and initial Taskforce meetings is provided in the initiative report to date. Initial recommendations are provided below:

  • Economic reconstruction requires much more than humanitarianism. More attention could be paid to prioritizing the role of the business sector.
  • More research is required into the analysis of conflict-sensitive business models. This would include more detailed studies of causality, impact, relative costs and
  • Trade and investment could be pivotal in helping societies transition from aid dependence to self-sustaining economic growth. This transition requires closer attention.
  • Better integrating the business sector into foreign policy and national strategy plans/documentation is critical. An enabling regulatory framework is needed.