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Security and Human Rights Toolkit

Working with Communities

Working with Communities
Challenge Area

Working with Communities

Ineffective security management can undermine the rights and development of communities, jeopardizing the company’s social license to operate. Communities should therefore be systematically engaged on security issues relating to company operations.

This section helps navigate topics like:

  • How to build trusted relationships with representatives of all members of the community, including women and indigenous peoples
  • How to manage tensions and address social conflicts
  • How to get senior company management buy-in for community engagement

The good practices included in this Toolkit are not meant to be prescriptive. It is up to the user to evaluate whether they could be feasible, useful and appropriate to the local context in a specific situation on the ground.

Introduction to Working with Communities
Communities’ impacts on company security
Impacts of company operations on the security of communities
Internal alignment and coordination on stakeholder engagement
Stakeholder engagement strategy
Information-sharing, consultation and consent
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Factsheet: Indigenous Peoples
Factsheets

Factsheet: Indigenous Peoples

Indigenous Peoples have distinct rights protecting their survival, dignity and well-being and companies have a responsibility to respect these rights.
Company-Community Relations and the Social License to Operate
Content Boxes

Company-Community Relations and the Social License to Operate

The term ‘social licence to operate’ can broadly be described as the ability of a business to carry out operations in a given community because stakeholders have given the project a certain level of acceptance.
DCAF

DCAF – Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance
Business and Security Division
www.businessandsecurity.dcaf.ch
Chemin Eugène-Rigot 2E,
CH-1202 Geneva Switzerland
Tel: +41 (0) 22 730 94 18
Contact us

International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
www.icrc.org
Avenue de la Paix 19, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland
Economic Adviser
Department of International Law and Policy
Tel: +41 (0) 22 734 6001
Contact us

About This Toolkit
Who is this Toolkit for? About the Toolkit Quick Guide to Using the Toolkit
Challenge Areas
Working with Host Governments Working with Public Security Forces Working with Private Security Providers Working with Communities
Quick Highlights
Case Studies Fact Sheets
DCAF
University of Geneva
Disclaimer:

The contents of this publication may be freely used and copied for educational and other non-commercial purposes, provided that any such reproduction is accompanied by an acknowledgement of the Security and Human Rights Toolkit (DCAF, ICRC, GCBHR 2022) as the source.

The good practices included in this Toolkit are not meant to be prescriptive. It is up to the user to evaluate whether they could be feasible, useful and appropriate to the local context in a specific situation on the ground. DCAF, ICRC and GCBHR shall not be liable for any kind of loss or damage whatsoever to the user of this Toolkit or a third party arising from reliance on the information contained in this document.

Photo credits:

Home page image: Sebastian Pichler/ Unsplash
Working with host governments: Juan Manuel Herrera – OAS/OEA 2007
Working with public security: V-p-co-e-01169h (international humanitarian law dissemination session) : © CICR/VON TOGGENBURG, Christoph
Working with private security: Chameleons Eye/ ShutterStockWorking with communities: Ines Della Valle, Women in Mining