Created in 2000, the Voluntary Principles is a multi-stakeholder initiative that promotes the implementation of a set of principles that guide companies on providing security for their operations while respecting human rights.
The VPs Initiative is composed of governments, international non-governmental organizations, and companies in the extracting, harvesting, natural resources, or energy industries. Through this multi-stakeholder approach, members strengthen their capacity to address complex security and human rights issues in business operations around the world.
Security concerns present particularly challenging issues that benefit from the unique perspective brought by the varied stakeholders. Each one has access to vital and different types of information: governments possess diplomatic information related to the security sector; companies have firsthand knowledge regarding the challenges of working with security providers on the ground, and NGOs have access to information regarding impact on local communities.
Through participation in the Initiative, governments, NGOs, and companies develop working relationships through which they can collaborate to implement the Voluntary Principles, and thus develop tools that will help define best practice for securing operations in a way that respects human rights.