We’ve supported a wide range of companies and organizations, partnered with committed professionals worlwide and engaged affected stakeholders and other relevant stakeholders to drive meaningful change on the ground.
Here are some of our recent projects making an impact.
Céline led a dedicated task force with French multinationals across sectors, in collaboration with the UN Global Compact France, to address challenges faced by companies and affected communities and enhance corporate-community engagement practices through a human rights lens. As part of this work, she conducted over 50 interviews with legitimate representatives of communities and Indigenous Peoples, NGOs, companies, and experts, along with a dedicated mission to Chile to engage directly with affected communities and community liaison officers.
Based on the task force’s working sessions, stakeholder interviews, and fieldwork, a practical guide will be published in March 2025. It will explore key questions: How can companies engage constructively with affected communities and effectively prevent, mitigate, and remedy their negative impacts? What challenges do businesses and communities face? What are the appropriate actions to take, and which pitfalls should be avoided? How can companies maximize positive impacts while considering the needs and aspirations of communities? Based on on-the-ground feedback from communities, Indigenous and Tribal Peoples, companies, and skilled experts, this guide aims to improve existing practices and provide actionable recommendations.
We conducted comprehensive Human Rights Impact Assessments (HRIAs) in the agriculture and mining sectors, engaging with company representatives and experts while prioritizing engagement with rightsholders and their legitimate representatives, including union leaders and worker representatives. This involved meaningful engagement with vulnerable groups such as (non-exhaustive list) migrant workers, ethnic minorities, Indigenous workers, and women, as well as both Indigenous and non-Indigenous affected communities. To ensure their perspectives and rights were fully integrated into the assessments, we facilitated safe and confidential engagement through one-on-one interviews and appropriately structured focus groups.
Our assessments provide a clear mapping of potential and actual adverse human rights impacts, along with their underlying risk drivers. Taking a prioritization approach based on the UN Guiding Principles’ criteria, we identify salient human rights issues and develop an actionable short-, medium-, and long-term action plan to prevent potential adverse impacts, mitigate and remedy actual adverse impacts, and maximize positive outcomes.
We conducted a thorough review of a company’s existing community engagement processes and practices, combined with direct engagement with affected communities and their legitimate representatives. This allowed us to identify gaps and develop an adequate and socially accepted community engagement strategy aligned with international standards.
The outcome was a strengthened, tailored, and culturally sensitive community engagement strategy designed to rebuild trust, prevent conflicts, and enhance corporate processes to ensure alignment with human rights standards. This approach fosters meaningful engagement with affected communities, laying the foundation for long-term, constructive relationships.
Céline delivered tailored in-person training sessions for security leads in Spanish, focusing on the intersection of security practices and human rights, ensuring alignment with the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights. Additional follow-up sessions were conducted through online platforms to reinforce key learnings.
The training strengthened security leads’ understanding of human rights risks and responsibilities, equipping them with practical tools fostering more responsible and rights-respecting security practices.
Céline partnered with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Business and Human Rights expert Claire Bright (Founder and Director of the NOVA Centre on Business, Human Rights, and the Environment) to deliver on-site training in Portuguese in Mozambique. As part of the global UNDP B+HR Academy training program, the sessions strengthened companies’ capacity to implement robust human rights due diligence processes aligned with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs).
Through interactive discussions and real-world case studies, participants enhanced their ability to implement due diligence processes aligned with the UNGPs, integrate human rights considerations into business decision-making, and engage more effectively with stakeholders. This capacity-building initiative helped foster a culture of responsible business conduct among Mozambican companies and businesses operating in Mozambique while advancing corporate respect for human rights in line with international standards.