Advancing Responsible Business Conduct in Africa: Contextual approaches and Practical Solutions

Session partner:

• Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)

• Partner Africa

Background 

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As global expectations around responsible business conduct (RBC) continue to evolve, African states are increasingly adopting frameworks to promote responsible, sustainable, and inclusive business practices. These frameworks have largely been shaped by the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), as well as BHR policy and legislation within Africa and beyond. Various states have developed National Action Plans (NAPs) on Business and Human Rights as a stand-alone, or as sectoral policies and regulations. These efforts have further been supported through advocacy and capacity building by National Human Rights Institutions, civil society organizations, human rights defenders and international actors.

Despite steady implementation of responsible business practices, the region continues to face challenges including weak regulatory environments, large informal economies, limited enforcement capacity, and deep-rooted socio-economic inequalities. In key sectors such as extractives, agriculture and mining, reports on improper land acquisition, insufficient community and worker engagement, inequitable resource benefit sharing, labor rights violations, environmental degradation and ineffective grievance mechanisms persist. These concerns leave affected workers and communities with little or no access to remedy and increase the vulnerability of groups at heightened risk that are disproportionately affected. Remedy and reparations are central to RBC, ensuring that those affected by business related harm receive justice and redress.

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This session will identify key barriers to meaningful implementation of responsible business practices while discussing pathways for scaling and sustaining momentum. Speakers will highlight practical solutions, contextual approaches, and showcase successful practices and models that align global standards with local realities. The session will also provide a platform to exchange knowledge and experiences to encourage regional collaboration across diverse sectors and countries.

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Key Objectives

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• Identify key barriers to meaningful implementation of RBC in African contexts and propose actionable solutions to overcome these obstacles.

• Highlight contextual strategies for implementing RBC, including policy, legal, business, community-driven and collaborative approaches.

• Showcase practical tools and models that have effectively advanced RBC in Africa (e.g., due diligence frameworks, multi-stakeholder initiatives, public-private partnerships), emphasizing examples that delivered remedy and positive impact.

• Discuss pathways for scaling and sustaining responsible business efforts across diverse sectors and countries.

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Guiding Questions

• Given the growing role of Faith-Based Organizations in advocating for justice, how can principles from theological ethics such as stewardship, mercy, and human dignity be integrated into corporate human rights frameworks to strengthen access to effective remedy for communities impacted by business operations.

• How can Faith-Based Organizations effectively engage with extractive companies to ensure access to meaningful remedy for affected communities beyond legal compliance and toward ethical accountability rooted in human dignity?

• What practical entry points exist for collaboration between FBOs, civil society organizations, and National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) to strengthen corporate accountability across the continent?

• How can civil society and Faith-Based Organizations collaborate to amplify grassroots voices and ensure that corporate accountability efforts especially access to effective remedy are both contextually relevant and morally grounded?

• How can Faith-Based Organizations and civil society ensure that women and youth often disproportionately affected by extractive industry impacts are not only protected but meaningfully included in shaping corporate accountability processes and access to remedy

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Background to the Discussion

The session will highlight how faith-driven values such as reconciliation, human dignity, and restorative justice align with Pillar 3 of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), which centers on access to remedy. By incorporating theological perspectives into business ethics and corporate accountability, policymakers can ensure that remedy mechanisms are not only legally sound but also morally responsible and compassionate. This approach will promote ethical business practices that respect victims' dignity and provide holistic justice beyond mere financial compensation.

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By embracing faith-driven values within the framework of Pillar 3, businesses and governments can foster a culture of accountability that transcends compliance. This approach encourages companies to view remedy not as a legal checkbox but as a moral imperative rooted in empathy and justice. It also empowers affected communities to participate meaningfully in the design and implementation of remedy processes, ensuring that their voices shape outcomes. Ultimately, integrating spiritual and ethical dimensions into corporate responsibility can transform how justice is pursued making it more inclusive, transformative, and enduring.