The World Economic Forum on Africa (Cape Town, 3-5 June 2015) includes programme sessions on water, gender & economic inequality, Africa Mining Vision, development challenges, financial integrity, migration, and food security.  These specific sessions, plus cross-cutting thematic focuses on women in African economies; xenophobia, ethnic conflict, and migration; and corporate governance, offer space for reflection on business & human rights in Africa today. 

Webcasts of the Forum are available here.

We welcome your commentary, or your response to any of the commentaries below; please send them to Greg Regaignon.

 
Civil society voices from Africa
 

Addressing Social Equity: the Theory of Change for Corporate Social Responsibility Mainstreaming in Africa
Fola Adeleke, Mandela Institute, University of Witwatersrand, South Africa

"Mainstreaming CSR is not about increasing philanthropic or charity activities and donations, it is about addressing direct and indirect consequences of a company’s operations. This requires bringing the experience, knowledge and interests of those affected – the potential beneficiaries from a company’s business – to bear on the business strategy of a company and may require changes in its goals, strategies and actions.  As a result, there should be accountability mechanisms to monitor progress, identification of issues with the help of communities to adequately diagnose problems, and allocation of adequate resources for mainstreaming.  For this to happen, coordinated regulation is required; the goodwill of corporations will not achieve this alone... It is important that the essence of a corporation’s policies, procedures and practices are mainstreamed in such a way that these come in line with promoting and respecting human rights."

For full text of this commentary, click here. 
 

Migration, xenophobia and ethnic conflicts - the impacts of businesses and investments
Josué Bila, human rights activist and journalist, Mozambique

“…In colonial times…the Portuguese and South African governments signed a cooperation agreement for Mozambicans…to work in South African mines…[C]ompanies earned huge profits making use of cheap Mozambican workforce…Our relationship of simple and…disposable workers in…South Africa is old. It is still the old migration of unskilled labour, ready to provide services and sell themselves for jobs that…few South Africans would do. Perhaps these are historical factors to consider when thinking about xenophobia in South Africa against Mozambicans…”

For full text of this commentary, click here.

Gender and extractives in Africa: the need to make mining beneficial for women
Nomonde Nyembe, Business and Human Rights Attorney, Centre for Applied Legal Studies, South Africa

 "...Participants...[of] WEF Africa should be mindful of the sexist nature of extraction on the continent.  If they truly intend to ensure value sharing and gender equality, the participants should discuss and seek steps to make the extractive industry beneficial not only to mine-affected communities, but to mine-affected women.  I call particularly on Executive Director of UN Women Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka to speak and aim to address the gender-discriminatory nature of the extractive industry on the continent."

For full text of this commentary, click here.

Human rights due diligence by businesses: An integral part in reimagining Africa’s economic future
Joseph Kibugu, Eastern Africa Researcher (based in Kenya), Business & Human Rights Resource Centre

"As the 25^th World Economic Forum on Africa gets underway..., human rights due diligence by businesses would help them respect human rights, besides mitigating operational, legal and reputational risks... That the growth of enterprise in Africa has improved livelihoods cannot be gainsaid... But a focus on just the good news ignores the high costs that often accompany natural resource exploitation in Africa... There is a growing consensus that human rights due diligence by businesses is a sure way of reducing legal, operational and reputational risk... This is the integrity in our conduct, I suppose, that Nelson Mandela spoke about."

For full text of this commentary, click here.

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