Investors Investors

We work with investors with portfolios, investments and/or funds in fragile and conflict-affected settings – including Development Financial Institutions (DFIs), impact and commercial/institutional investors – to provide them with the necessary knowledge, tools and skills to put in place the HQ-level policy processes and country-level level investment frameworks and practices to ensure, a minimum, conflict-sensitive and, ideally, peace-promoting investments; we also assist investors with risk/crisis management and monitoring frameworks.

 

Using our peace finance framework as a guide, we support DFIs and their partners to:

  • Design FCS-strategies and policy frameworks: Put in place FCS-specific strategies and frameworks to guide the work of the organisation with clear direction, principles and conflict-sensitive strategies.
  • Undertake country or sector-specific analyses in FCS: Conduct heightened human rights due diligence and conflict-sensitivity analyses, as well as sector-specific analysis in FCS to guide the work of DFIs and their partners.
  • Establish conflict-sensitive and/or peace-promoting investment frameworks: These frameworks can guide the work of DFIs and partners whether on large infrastructure projects, work with financial institutions or with Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) facilities to ensure maximised positive impacts, particularly on peace and stability.
  • Support conflict-sensitive implementation: Provide support on the implementation of projects in challenging contexts, to ensure responsible and effective implementation leveraging peacebuilding approaches, as well as effective monitoring of the changing context/programme.

 

We work with impact investors and commercial/institutional investors (as relevant) to:

  • Develop FCS-specific HQ policies and processes: Put in place FCS-specific policy frameworks and HQ-level processes to be able to manage conflict risks in investment portfolios.
  • Conduct conflict-risk portfolio reviews: We review investor portfolios to understand, assess and help manage conflict-related risk exposure.
  • Support active investor engagement strategies: Leveraging our experience to date with our strategic partner de Pury Pictet Turrettini in the context of their Cadmos Peace European Engagement Fund, we participate in engagement meetings with portfolio companies to raise awareness of heightened human rights due diligence and conflict-sensitivity.
  • Conduct heightened human rights due diligence/conflict-sensitivity analyses at the country level: For specific investments (SMEs or MNC) engagements in FCS, we support investors with their due diligence processes, including heightened human rights due diligence and conflict-sensitivity assessments with a view to enabling the investment to proceed successfully.

 

Cross-cutting

  • Ensure robust risk management and monitoring: Establish FCS-specific risk management processes and conflict-sensitivity monitoring mechanisms.
  • Training and accompaniment: Ensure staff have the necessary knowledge and skills to operate effectively in FCS via training, mentoring and accompaniment.
  • Ensure effective stakeholder management: Foster constructive and sustainable relationships with critical stakeholders within and outside of FCS – including with perceived ‘adversaries’ or ‘spoilers’ – through facilitation and mediation.
  • Manage and lead through crises: Ensure effective crisis management and communications through leadership support, media engagement and advisory.

Alignment with international standards, norms and emerging regulations

 

Throughout our work we provide analysis, support and training design optimise the alignment of the company’s business operations with international standards, norms and emerging regulations. We work with leading international and national experts who have first-hand context-specific knowledge and networks, to collect data from public and proprietary sources and conduct high-quality analyses and assessments using primary data (interviews, focus groups with key stakeholders).

TrustWorks has its own proprietary methodology and tools on heightened human rights due diligence and conflict- sensitivity informed by our expertise in this domain, guided by international best practice and in alignment with the key international standards represented by but not limited to:

  • The EU Directive on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence
  • The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights
  • The Global Compact Principles, and the Guidance on Responsible Business in Conflict-Affected and High-risk Areas
  • The OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises
  • The OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Business Conduct
  • The Risk Awareness Tool for Multinational Enterprises in Weak Governance Zones,
  • The Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-affected and High-risk Areas
  • The International Finance Corporation (IFC) Performance Standards
  • The Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights

What we do

TrustWorks Global companies

Companies

We work with companies (MNCs and SMEs) in fragile and conflict-affected settings to provide them with the necessary knowledge, tools and skills on how to operate in a manner that minimises the negative and maximises the positive impacts on peace and stability - through the development of heightened human rights due diligence and conflict-sensitivity analyses and road maps, and relevant operational support, training, facilitation and mediation.

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TrustWorks Governments

Governments, IOs, NGOs

We work with multilateral organisations, governments and non-governmental organisations – including the United Nations and partners - to provide them with the necessary knowledge, tools and skills to undertake effective and efficient peacemaking and peacebuilding endeavours, including on issues such as local approaches to peace, HDP nexus and strategic planning; we have a particularly strong focus on natural resources, climate change and conflict (environmental peacebuilding) and supporting peace actors to more effectively engage licit and illicit business actors.

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