Capturing the Inclusiveness and Unintended Effects of Governance

1\. Introduction 2\. Governance for (and against) whom? Gaps in the governance literature 3\. Different qualities and “unintended” effects of governance – toward an analytical framework 3.1 Inclusiveness of governance contributions 3.2 Unintended effects of governance 3.3 Negative externalities of core business practices 4\. The quality of governance in light of different collectivities 5\. ConclusionResearch on governance by external non-state actors in areas of limited statehood concentrates on the conditions under which these actors engage in governance. However, this literature largely ignores findings from research on the anthropology of development, the privatization of security, and non-state welfare provision in developing countries that point to the limitations and negative effects of governance by non-state actors. Hence there are many reasons to distinguish carefully between different qualities of governance contributions and the (unintended) effects of external actors’ practices. This paper deals with the quality of governance in that it suggests an analytical framework for distinguishing different qualities along three dimensions: inclusiveness, the indirect effects of governance, and the external effects of non-governance practices. Empirically, the paper focuses on multinational companies in sub-Saharan Africa. This is for two reasons. Firstly, the literature on business and governance noticeably isolates the positive contributions by firms from the negative effects of business activities in areas of limited statehood. Secondly, the case of companies – actors that do not aim at contributing to governance in the first place – clearly illustrates the added value of distinguishing different qualities of governance contributions. This is also relevant, however, for other governance actors.Die Forschung zu Governance durch externe, nichtstaatliche Akteure in Räumen begrenzter Staatlichkeit konzentriert sich auf die Bedingungen, unter denen diese zur Bereitstellung kollektiver Güter beitragen. Dabei ignoriert sie bisher weitestgehend Ergebnisse der Entwicklungsanthropologie sowie der Literatur zu Sicherheitsprivatisierung und der nichtstaatlichen Bereitstellung von Sozialleistungen, die die Grenzen und negativen Effekte von nichtstaatlicher Governance aufzeigen. Es lohnt sich für die Governance- Forschung, diese Ergebnisse ernst zu nehmen und unterschiedliche Qualitäten von Governance genauer in Augenschein zu nehmen. Dieses Papier beschäftigt sich mit ebenjenen qualitativen Unterschieden von Governance und entwirft einen analytischen Rahmen, mit dessen Hilfe diese entlang von drei Dimensionen erfasst werden können: Inklusivität von Governance, indirekte Effekte von Governance und externe Effekte von Praktiken, die nicht auf Beiträge zu Governance abzielen. Empirisch bezieht es sich auf multinationale Unternehmen in Subsahara Afrika. Dies einerseits, weil sich in der Literatur zu Unternehmen und Governance eine isolierte Betrachtung positiver Beiträge besonders virulent zeigt, ohne zwischen unterschiedlichen Qualitäten von Governance zu unterscheiden. Andererseits zeigen sich am Fall von Unternehmen, deren primäre Motivation nicht auf die Bereitstellung von Kollektivgütern in Räumen begrenzter Staatlichkeit zielt, Probleme der Exklusivität und indirekter Effekte von Governance sowie negativer Externalitäten besonders eindrücklich. Eine Unterscheidung unterschiedlicher Qualitäten von Governance, die diese drei Aspekte berücksichtigt, ist aber auch für andere Governance- Akteure relevant

mining companies and the voluntary principles on security and human rights in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Transnational institutions increasingly commit multinational companies to human rights and social standards on a voluntary basis. Our paper investigates the security practices of multinational companies and whether these comply with the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights. Analysing the case of mining companies in the Democratic Republic of Congo we evaluate the impact of the Principles on local security practices and critically analyse the effects of these practices. We argue that one needs to go beyond compliance studies, which focus on the implementation of formal programs (output) and rule-consistent behaviour (outcome), in order to evaluate corporate governance contributions. We therefore develop a conceptual framework that looks at companies’ local security practices, including non-compliant practices, and their effects on local security. Our approach leads to a more differentiated evaluation of the effects of voluntary standards and the potential for corporate governance contributions than much of the literature on business and governance does.Multinationale Unternehmen werden zunehmend von transnationalen Institutionen auf freiwilliger Basis zu Menschenrechten und Sozialstandards verpflichtet. Unser Beitrag untersucht die Sicherheitspraktiken von Unternehmen und fragt, inwiefern sich diese an die Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights halten. Anhand von zwei multinationalen Bergbaufirmen in der Demokratischen Republik Kongo untersuchen wir die Wirkung dieser Standards auf die Sicherheitspraktiken der Firmen, nehmen darüber hinaus aber auch die Auswirkung der Firmenpraktiken auf die lokale Sicherheitslage in den Blick. Wir argumentieren dass man über die Compliance-Forschung, die auf die Implementierung formaler Programme und regelkonformes Verhalten fokussiert, hinaus gehen muss um freiwillige Standards sowie die Wirkung von Unternehmen auf Sicherheit in Räumen begrenzter Staatlichkeit zu evaluieren. Wir entwickeln dazu einen „bottom-up“ Ansatz der die gesamte Spanne lokaler Sicherheitspraktiken von Unternehmen sowie ihre – oft negativen – Effekte in den Blick nimmt. Dieser Ansatz erlaubt eine differenziertere Bewertung der Wirkung freiwilliger Standards als auch der Beiträge von Unternehmen zu lokaler Sicherheit

The multiple meanings and uses of South-South relations in extraction: The Brazilian mining company Vale in Mozambique

South-South relations have raised hopes of a new development geography – one based on solidarity and more horizontal partnerships among countries in the Global South. In recent years, however, many of these aspirations have proven far-fetched. In the case of Brazil, the presidency of Jair Bolsonaro may even suggest that the South–South hype is now over and done. However, empirical accounts of the engagement of Southern, emerging market-based multinationals across the Global South, such as that of Brazil's mining corporation Vale in Mozambique, remain scarce. One missing perspective in defining South-South relations is the agency of other actors beyond emerging powers’ governments. This article therefore goes beyond the pre-eminence of the Brazilian state. Instead, it analyses how South–South relations have been signified and used by two critical actors in the context of Vale's extractive operations in Mozambique: first, the professionals involved in corporate responsibility projects and second, the Mozambican power elites. There is a range of analyses of South–South ties, the imaginaries and hopes associated with them, and their practical possibilities which change according to the expectations, demands, and interests of different actors. We observe that Brazilian professionals in particular have built on specific cultural framings and imaginaries associated with South–South relations to claim a distinct vision and practice of corporate responsibility. Taking note of the prominent role played by Mozambique's ruling party Frelimo, we further demonstrate how Mozambican power elites have harnessed, through gatekeeping practices, the country's commodity-spurred architecture of South–South relations to reaffirm political power and amplify individual economic interests. In light of Vale's current withdrawal from Mozambique, we posit that our analysis provides a timely opportunity to reflect on the multiple makings, and implications of South-South engagement, the controversies linked to the role of Brazilian capital in Africa, and Mozambique's development through extraction