Briefing Paper

Business (Not) for Peace: A Call for Conflict-Sensitive Policy in Fragile States

In much of Africa, the political economy shaping the private sector, as well as disincentives for the private sector to engage in peacebuilding and state building, militates against a peace-positive role for the private sector in extractives governance or broader efforts to promote SDG. European policy regarding the private sector must therefore become more conflict sensitive, shaping the environment in which private sector development unfolds for better rather than for worse.