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. Funded by the European Union, it supports civil society organisations (CSOs) in documenting violations, pursuing strategic litigation and advocating for stronger regulation. The initiative currently operates in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Nigeria, Mozambique, Iraq, Colombia and Guatemala.

At the beginning of 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-related crimes. The training also covered legal frameworks governing corporate conduct and PSPs, with particular attention to gender, age and vulnerability.

Focusing on high-risk sectors such as mining, agribusiness and finance, 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.