27 May 2021

To our Stakeholders,

As Director of Swiss-based TrustWorks Global (TrustWorks) and Chief Executive Officer I, Josie Lianna Kaye, reaffirms its support of the Ten Principles of the United Nations Global Compact in the areas of Human Rights, Labour, and Anti-Corruption – both in terms of our mandate, and in terms of the way we work as a company.

In this annual Communication on Progress, we describe our actions to continually improve the integration of the Global Compact and its principles into our business strategy, culture and daily operations. We also commit to sharing this information with our stakeholders using our primary channels of communication.

TrustWorks has undergone a new transition, expanding our mandate from focusing on natural resource conflicts and climate change, and also peace and security challenges. TrustWorks’ engagement is further based on a feminist ethos and its principles of respectful and honest collaboration, inclusivity and diversity; at the heart of this approach is the notion of accountability – for our partners and ourselves. In this way, we are leading the engagements for public and private actors to prevent conflict, promote peace and foster sustainability using strategic approaches that cultivate trust, courage and creativity. Expanding our mandate is an opportunity to engage with a more diverse partners base which allows TrustWorks to have a bigger positive social impact by addressing multiple SDGs in an integrated manner.

Our team, already composed of a highly qualified team of seven senior advisors and eight associates, many of whom are leading experts on relevant issues such as business and human rights, mediation, peacebuilding, and climate change, has undergone two significant changes. As Director and CEO, I completed a Phd from the University of Oxford on the role of licit and illicit business actors in peace mediation with case studies on Somaliland and Yemen, and therefore brings rigorous thematic and regional expertise in the design and implementation of research projects.

Our team has also included a representative of business development. It is responsible for building on the Company's previous experiences and projects to implement other opportunities, particularly in certain fragile countries, by identifying and targeting public and private actors and potential partners and mediators.

As a social enterprise, we re-invest profit back into the business in order to further our core mandate.

It is responsible for building on the Company's previous experiences and projects to implement other opportunities, particularly in certain fragile countries, by identifying and targeting public and private actors and potential mediators.

This transition is a testament to our effort to continuously reassess TrustWorks’ ethical compass that guides our work and an opportunity to re-anchor our engagement to advance the principles of the Global Compact. We strive to ensure that all our partners, are able to minimize the negative and maximise the positive impacts of their operations by providing tailored analysis, training and mediation services – drawing upon our expertise in the fields of conflict- sensitivity, conflict resolution, mediation, natural resource management, stakeholder engagement and strategic planning. Because We believe that trust and courage are essential for generating and sustaining meaningful change; they enable creativity because a more sustainable, equitable and peaceful future requires different, sometimes innovative means. We believe that trust and courage are essential for generating and sustaining meaningful change; they enable creativity because a more sustainable, equitable and peaceful future requires different, sometimes innovative means.

Nonetheless, like all the other companies who form part of the Global Compacts’ vast network, we are also a learning organisation – continually looking to adapt and improve ourselves, both in terms of the services we offer to our clients, how SDGs can be incorporated in our core work and how we operate as a company, as expressed in our principles, processes and working methods that make up what we stand for on a day-to-day basis. This report, therefore, provides a moment to reflect on what we have achieved since joining the Global Compact, and to identify areas where we can continue to improve in the months and years ahead.

We look forward to remaining a member of a community of businesses committed to the Global Compact’s principles.

Yours sincerely,

Josie Lianna Kaye
Director and Founder
TrustWorks Global Sarl

1. Human Rights Principles

Principle 1: Businesses should support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights; and,

Principle 2: Make sure that they are not complicit in human right abuses

a. Assessment, Policy and Goals on Human Rights

TrustWorks is implicitly concerned with human rights in its core business operations. Within its sphere of external influence, the company focuses on: the inclusion of local people in conflict- resolution and mediation processes to support their work toward building peaceful societies; empowering marginalised groups in line with a feminist ethos; addressing non- technical risks facing companies in natural resource-related industries that operate in conflict- affected, fragile and developing contexts; and, ensuring companies are in conformity with internationally proclaimed human rights principles. TrustWorks believes in the potential of business actors to collaborate with governments and communities to achieve peace-building, state building and sustainable development that establish/re-establish the conditions for the enjoyment of social, political and economic rights, and therefore to actively contribute to an environment where human rights are respected and promoted. As such, SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions) is at the heart of TrustWorks mandate and continues to be a guiding principle for the innovative initiatives our business pursue.

We ensure that the projects we develop ourselves and/or with our partners are held to the highest standards possible through rigorous conflict-sensitivity analysis, risk analysis and monitoring and evaluation. Due to our mandate to help clients improve the way they work, TrustWorks upholds a policy to not preclude any client accused of human rights violations from receiving our services and support on the basis of that accusation – as we feel these organisations need our services in many ways more than others in order to rectify their operational practices. However, when we are approached for support by potential clients who may have been accused of human rights violations we do our due diligence in order to decide whether to work with such entities and to ensure that we do not become ourselves, complicit and, indeed, to ensure that working with such entities will ensure that human rights violations do not re-occur. Due diligence involves an honest assessment of:

• The political will within the organisation to address these violations and commitment from senior managers that the initiative will be implemented;
• The access we will have to staff and stakeholders to help the client to address these violations;
• Whether we are able to help the client address the issue that may have given rise to accusation of human rights violations, while also putting in place mechanisms for the long-term that will enable stakeholders to seek redress; and,
• Whether our engagement can be reasonably expected not to cause harm to any persons or any contexts and if the security of TrustWorks personnel will not be jeopardised.

In terms of our own operations, TrustWorks only hires staff who have a proven track record in field related to our domain of business; we work with credible suppliers (web designers, accountants, lawyers etc.) who have been recommended to us by dis-interested third parties.

TrustWorks also partners with Peaceful Change Initiative, Rotterdam Business School, and MajestEye, all of whom share a commitment to the principles enshrined by the Global Compact. In line with SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) we are working with these entities on diverse programmes that bring together a wide range of actors from business, international organizations, NGOs and think-tanks to address cross-cutting issues concerning, but not limited to, business operations in fragile and conflict-affected contexts, including human rights violations.

b. Implementation

TrustWorks develops, on a continuous basis, analysis of countries and regions in which our projects take place to highlight the various socio-political, economic and/or environmental risks faced by prospective clients, and possible linkages between these dynamics and human rights abuses. When we are approached by a new client, we usually take 1-2 weeks to do our due diligence on the entity/company and to complete our assessment of whether we are in a position to assist, or not.

Through our website and our very active twitter account, we also communicate our views on how organisations can improve the commitment to human rights. In the year ahead, we hope to begin a blog and/or produce short “white papers” on topics of relevance. We have already published several papers on our website concerning natural resource-related conflicts and potential entry-points for resolving them.

c. Measurement of Outcome

Emerging awareness and brand: TrustWorks’ posts on its LinkedIn page has in two months since its recent re-launch generated more than 8,000 impressions, and we have increased our followers on Twitter to almost 1,000 over the last two years. The entity is known by major institutions including the UN, the OECD, EEAS, the EIB, the World Bank, USAID, Mercy Corps, Thales, TD-International and various NGOs, amongst others. Every member of the company is charged with engaging with our clients through a human rights lens, amongst others.

2. Labour Principles

Principle 3: Businesses should uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining;

Principle 4: the elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labour;

Principle 5: the effective abolishing of child labour; and,

Principle 6: the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation

a. Assessment, Policy and Goals on Labour standards

TrustWorks engagement is based on a feminist ethos and its principles of respectful and honest collaboration, inclusivity and diversity; the company, therefore, fosters inclusiveness internally by bringing together individuals with diverse nationalities, cultures, thinking styles and expertise who work collaboratively to address clients’ needs and to achieve personal and professional development aspirations. As an organization committed to empowering and supporting feminist leadership, our vision aligns with that of SDG 5 (Gender Equality). Mutual respect, integrity and trust are key values of interaction among the people within the TrustWorks network.

TrustWorks pools and develops talents by providing six-month internship opportunities for students enrolled in Masters programmes who have keen interest in its sphere of operation; TrustWorks prioritises students who have no prior work experience in recognition of how difficult it can be enter this field. The internship programme is structured as a ‘mentorship programme’ whereby each week there are provided with the opportunity to acquire and practice new skills that will enable them to enter the professional world with increased capacities and confidence.

Interns are subjected to the same confidentiality agreement as TrustWorks’ Senior Advisors and Associates and they work directly with the Director and Research and Programme Assistant in executing their roles. Interns are encouraged to offer their views on the business, based on the understanding that they have as much to contribute as they do to learn. Given that they are students, all interns are expected to communicate transparently about the constraints on their side, and to prioritise their studies if ever there is a conflict.

TrustWorks collaborates with universities to ensure that the students working with us will get credits, i.e. the internship will count towards their respective degrees. TrustWorks interns are also offered a stipend upon successful completion of the programme.

Within its sphere of influence, TrustWorks is committed to boosting the reputation of our partners operating in conflict affected/high-risk contexts by helping them to develop conflict-sensitive employment policies that avoid any discrimination against minority groups or working conditions that fuel latent resentment.

b. Implementation

TrustWorks has developed comprehensive contracts and confidentiality agreements with its entire staff and its partners which outline the rights and obligations of all “Staff”, no matter their actual status within the company.

The Director at TrustWorks communicates transparently to all team members as and when required. A monthly update is sent to all team members, and team members are invited to offer their comments and insights as and where required. Bilateral calls are held with individual staff members on a regular basis, and teams working together on projects speak regularly on the phone and/or meet in person. Team members are invited to an annual staff meeting which will takes place in Amsterdam, virtually or at a retreat location (TBD) and will provide an opportunity to strategize on the year ahead and share any ideas or concerns.
When working with Clients, we maintain a commitment to ensuring businesses do not discriminate and/or are not perceived to discriminate against any group, and we offer services that help companies internally with labour related disputes. We are able to design collaborative processes that enable staff to jointly separate fact from perception when it comes to differential treatment, and to then co-design processes to deal with both in a fair, equitable and transparent manner.

c. Measurement of Outcome

TrustWorks employees, including interns, come from different nationalities across Europe, Africa and Latin America. There is 50-50 male-female representation. The average age of the TrustWorks employee is 33.

TrustWorks is a woman-run business as the Director, a woman, is the only stakeholder. The company’s emphasis on a feminist ethos is more than a principle as TrustWorks - in June 2020 - organised and co-hosted a discussion on the future of feminist leadership with the Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation; we are looking to develop a programme on this topic. Finally, in our hiring process, both for interns and forthcoming full-time positions, the company gives equal opportunities to all genders.

3. Environmental Principles

Principle 7: Businesses should support precautionary approach to environmental challenges;

Principle 8: Undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility; and

Principle 9: Encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies.

a. Assessment, Policy and Goals on Environmental standards

TrustWorks believes that companies in natural-resource related industries have a particularly important footprint in countries in or emerging from conflict and that environmental damage is more likely to provoke significant tensions between companies and communities as the communities most affected are often those whose livelihoods depend on land, water and other natural resources.

TrustWorks therefore supports companies to grow a perception and reputation of being socially and environmentally responsible by engendering an internal culture that genuinely reflect these principles by ensuring that reputation is linked directly to realities on the ground. This way, companies can maintain their license to operate amongst communities, and can behave as “partners” rather than opposing sides in conflict. By building relationships between companies and communities on environmental issues, it is easier to prevent environmental conflicts, and to address them as and when they do arise, in a way that is efficient but also respectful of the local way of life.

TrustWorks pays close attention to the role of climate change and environmental challenges in all its work around conflict mediation. Climate change is increasingly recognised as exacerbating conflicts in fragile areas and we, therefore, carefully consider how we can support clients to address environmental challenges to both contribute to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change and build the resilience needed to adapt to the uncertain future. To us, incorporating climate change and environmental concerns is not a matter of ticking a box but truly detrimental to the success of our work.

b. Implementation

Since environmental protection is part of our core mandate, we prioritise concerns around land, environment, natural resources and climate in the context of all projects, as and where possible. These concerns are also reflected in our promotional materials and our twitter feeds.

As a company, our work requires significant travel, but when meetings or mentoring occasions can be held via video conferencing this option is often preferred in order to reduce our carbon footprint. Relatedly, the lesson from the COVID-19 crisis has proved that the company can maintain its high level of productivity with less travel and it will continue to explore opportunities for remote cooperation even when travel restrictions are lifted.

In the recent years, the Director of the Company co-authored two articles/guidance notes on environmental-related issues. These are: ‘Mediating climate-change induced conflicts over natural resources: Towards a toolbox for policy makers in Africa’ in Conflict-sensitive adaptation to climate change in Africa and, ‘Natural resources and conflict: A guide for mediation practitioners.’ The former is edited by Urmila, Bob, and Bronkhorst, Salmoe and published by Accord and BWV Berliner Wissenschafts-Verlag and Adelphi; the latter is co- published by the Department of Political Affairs and the United Nations Environment Programme, and was launched in 2015.

c. Measurement of Outcome

‘Climate change and natural resources’ is one out of three key areas of work in the context of TrustWorks’ revised mandate following the vision of SDG 13 advocating action to combat climate change and its impacts. Furthermore, since 2018, TrustWorks has been developing a major multi-million dollar project, Remora, on climate change and the rejuvenation of oceans. Remora will bring together actors as diverse as the shipping industry, scientific communities, conservationists, NGOs and Member States to, in a collaborative fashion, to use the power of modern technology and data to improve the health of oceans. The project is due to be launched in the second half of 2020 which aims to push the agenda of SDG 14 (Life Below Water). Indicators to show the progress of Remora is the commitment to the project of at least one actors from the shipping industry, scientific community and conservationist.

TrustWorks also expects to take part in discussions and conferences organised around the topic of environmental protection, especially in conflict contexts, and shall continue to prioritise environmental protection in its engagements with clients.

4. Anti-corruption Principles

Principle 10: Businesses should work against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery.

a. Assessment, Policy and Goals on anti-corruption

TrustWorks acknowledges that, in some of our projects in the natural-resource industry, tax revenue from natural resource wealth provides governments in fragile contexts with the resources to be able to provide and improve basic service delivery. However, development objectives are often not achieved due to the failure to generate transparent and accountable processes, which in turn contributes to distrust for companies, greater income disparities, conflicts and ultimately constrain bottom line growth. TrustWorks seeks to work with companies to communicate effectively and transparently, thereby avoiding the negative impacts of corrupt practices.

TrustWorks operates as an impartial, independent company which uses independent, impartial analysis; targeted, comprehensive capacity-building; and, inclusive mediation processes to build trust. However, we work actively and openly with clients wishing to address corruption, and welcome requests from clients wishing to address this problem in a proactive manner. As with issues of human rights violations, TrustWorks does its due diligence with clients who have been accused of corruption to be sure that we are in a position to assist and they show a true commitment to the cause.

Anti-corruption is one of the most important clauses in the contracts signed between the company and staff, and TrustWorks has a zero tolerance policy towards corruption internally.

b. Implementation

In the year ahead, TrustWorks intends to work with organisations working in conflict-affected and fragile states to help them address issues related to corruption. When working with clients, we encourage transparent communication between operational staff and management, and encourage companies to put in place processes which allow staff to report instances of corruption without fear of reprisal. The company shall institute and continuously review its operational guidelines on anti-corruption internally, as well as due diligence in dealing with current and prospective clients.

Based on a PhD dissertation completed by the Director in February 2020, we are in the process of developing an ambitious programme regarding the inclusion of businesses in peace mediation processes that, in its later stages, will support business actors to transition towards transparent operation of their business.

c. Measurement of Outcome
TrustWorks is yet to initiate a programme with a client specifically on anti-corruption issues, although dealing with accusations forms part of the projects under development and other on-going engagements. In the year ahead, the company intends to identify and partner with existing anti-corruption initiatives driven by private sector entities to complement government efforts in fighting corruption in resource-rich developing and/or conflict-affected regions. It is TrustWorks’ objective to also actively engage with policy-makers and civil society to contribute to policy development that boosts investor confidence to promote socio- economic development and political stability.