Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights – Institutional Support 2015-2017

This grant represents Canada’s long-term institutional support to the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights Association. The Association uses these funds along with other donors’ funding to achieve its mandate. The Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights are guidelines for public private and proprietary security forces and the extractive sector companies around whose operations these forces are deployed to help ensure the protection and respect of human rights. The Voluntary Principles are supported by a multi-stakeholder non-profit association made up of extractive sector companies governments and civil society which promotes outreach and full implementation of the principles on the ground. Canada supports the Voluntary Principles and is a member of the Voluntary Principles Association. Support to the Association focuses on: (1) promoting inclusive and innovative partnerships between government private sector and civil society including on the protection of human rights; (2) engaging with vulnerable groups and stakeholders to enhance protection of these groups; and (3) enhancing responsible resource management in developing countries where resource extraction occurs.

The expected outcome as stated by the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights Association is to enhance the Association’s capacity to facilitate the collaborative work of companies governments and non governmental organizations seeking to find solutions to complex security and human rights challenges.