LAUNCH OF THE CORPORATE ACCOUNTABILITY INITIATIVE

The Corporate Accountability Initiative Kicks Off with First Training in the DRC

In countries affected by conflict or instability, corporate actors in sectors such as extractives, forestry, agriculture and finance often rely on private security providers (PSPs). When poorly regulated, these PSPs can contribute to serious human rights and environmental abuses, including killings, torture, forced displacement and ecological damage. To address this, ICoCA, TRIAL International, OEARSE RDC, African Law Foundation, CDD-Centro Para Democracia e Direitos Humanos, the Iraqi Human Rights Defenders and Activists Consortium, INDEPAZ and Iepades Guatemala have joined forces to launch the Corporate Accountability Initiative (CAI).

Led by civil society and rooted in local ownership, the CAI takes a survivor-centred approach to preventing and tackling abuses linked to corporate use of PSPs. Co-funded by the European Union, it pursues strategic litigation and supports civil society organisations (CSOs) in documenting violations and advocating for stronger regulation. The initiative currently operates in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Nigeria, Mozambique, Iraq, Colombia and Guatemala.

From 30 July to 1 August 2025, ICoCA, in partnership with OEARSE RDC and TRIAL International, organised the CAI’s first training workshop in the DRC. Over three days, CSO representatives from across the country enhanced their skills in documenting, monitoring and reporting corporate international crimes. The training also covered legal frameworks governing corporate conduct and PSPs.

Focusing on high-risk sectors such as the extractive industries, the workshop equipped participants with practical tools to act as watchdogs and hold corporate actors to account. This was the first in a series of six regional workshops to be held across Africa, the Middle East and Latin America.