The Global Compact Network Australia and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade invite you to an invitation-only workshop on security and human rights.
Ensuring respect for human rights in providing or managing site security continues to be a critical challenge for extractives companies. While the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights provide valuable guidance, implementation is not always straightforward.
This workshop will focus on the practical challenges facing Australian extractives companies in relation to security and human rights, through deep dives on real life case studies focusing on very challenging contexts, what did and, critically, did not work with the response, and the value of the Voluntary Principles in the relevant situation.
With the Australian Government now a signatory to the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights, the workshop will also provide an opportunity for the Government to understand the real challenges facing companies on the ground, and what the Government can do to support Australian companies operating overseas. It will also provide an opportunity for companies to have input into the Government’s implementation of the Voluntary Principles.
The workshop will also build an Australian ‘community of practice’ in this space.
This workshop is aimed primarily at senior security representatives from extractives companies, and their community / human rights colleagues. Participants will be limited to representatives from the extractives industry and security providers, together with the GCNA and DFAT as host organisations, and will be conducted under the Chatham House Rule to ensure a safe space for open sharing of experiences.
We are also calling for expressions of interest from participants in relation to sharing a case study in the workshop. As noted above, we are looking for case studies focused on very challenging contexts, and a discussion of what did and did not work.