When conflict hits, everyone has a role, and businesses are no exception. They can help keep the economy running, providing jobs and stability in new perilous circumstances. But in crises, businesses face new challenges and often find themselves not knowing what to do. Do they stay or leave? How do they manage stakeholder and investor expectations in conflict areas? How do they assess and address any negative impacts on conflict and human rights? 

For too long, this topic remained overlooked and under-investigated. To correct course, on a winter day in November 2022, nearly 70 people – including the co-authors – gathered in the Geneva Headquarters of the International Committee of Red Cross to build the cross-sectoral relationships to help businesses act as a force for good in conflict-affected areas. The idea was to form a Community of Practice on Business and Conflict. 

We committed to exchange and advance solutions to our shared dilemmas. 

Fast forward to February 2025, and our community has grown in leaps and bounds, bringing together civil society groups, academia, think tanks, consultancies, international organizations, as well as corporate representatives and investors.

Numbering over 200 members, it is co-hosted by the Thinking Ahead for Societal Change (TASC) Platform, Geneva Trade Platform, and UNDP’s Crisis Bureau. We meet regularly, online and in person, including annually at the United Nations Forum on Business and Human Rights.

Despite drawing from such a diverse pool, members experience common challenges. Many of us struggle with accessing accurate data on conflict-affected and high-risk areas, especially on the performance and compliance of companies operating in these areas.

We recognize that there is little awareness of relevant frameworks to businesses, including international humanitarian law and heightened human rights due diligence. Businesses also have little capacity to engage in conflict analysis, to understand the root causes of conflict in areas where they operate and how their work risks inadvertently contributing to it. 

Through our work with the financial sector to bolster financing for the Sustainable Development Goals, we note the lack of practical guidance for investors, and the lenders scrutinizing their portfolios for risks in conflict-affected areas.

At the same time, many things are going right. There has been meaningful regulatory advancement, progress on the legal front, and support from policymakers and governments. For example, the European Union Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive calls on companies to follow guidance based on UNDP’s Guide on Heightened Human Rights Due Diligence. It is expected that this directive will also improve the regulatory environment for businesses operating in fragile or conflict-affected settings.

Community members and corporate representatives acknowledge that geopolitical uncertainty can actually push businesses to improve their corporate practices. Crises and armed conflict are forcing action, and companies are moving to address reputational risks. In the past two years, more than 900 companies have taken UNDP’s course on heightened human rights due diligence in Ukraine. 

There is also increasing recognition that post-conflict contexts should be shaped by responsible business practices, as evidenced by the conference on responsible reconstruction organized in Ukraine by that country’s Ministry of Economy and UNDP.

This gives us hope. We have seen in the past two years that despite turmoil, individuals and groups still have the power to make progress. We move forward when we invest time and energy in collective learning and action. In 2025, we are committed to advancing the corporate uptake of responsible business conduct in conflict-affected areas, sharing good practices, and continuing to improve the regulatory environment. Our community is up to the task – will you join us? 

To become part of our conversation, visit: www.businessandconflictcommunity.com. 

The Community of Practice on Business and Conflict is co-hosted by the TASC Platform, the Geneva Trade Platform, and UNDP, which also provides financial support.