In Togo, Benin and Senegal, the lack of supervision of the economic activities of multinationals and local economic players is causing human rights and environmental abuses. To ensure that economic development does not take place at the expense of workers’ rights, local communities and the environment, the Vigilance Project was launched in July 2021. It aims to build the capacity of civil society in Benin, Togo and Senegal to ensure that companies respect human rights and environmental law, and to enable the introduction of more protective policies.
Implemented by the consortium formed by the organisations Sherpa (France), RSE BENIN (Benin), La Lumière (Senegal) and RSE et Développement (France and Togo), with the support of the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) (1), the project aims to provide civil society organisations (CSOs) with the knowledge and skills they need to identify human rights and environmental abuses by companies, and to strengthen their capacity to advocate for stronger policies, standards and regulations to protect human rights and the environment in the context of business activities. The Vigilance Project is structured in four main phases, with activities carried out in Benin, Togo and Senegal.
Training courses and launch of civil society networks
During the first phase, initiated in 2022, two workshops were held in Benin (with the participation of CSOs from Benin and Togo) and Senegal to strengthen the knowledge and skills of CSOs in the areas of due diligence, corporate social responsibility (CSR) and the protection of human rights and the environment. The outcome was an initial mapping of potential human rights and environmental abuses by companies in the three countries.
This was followed by the structuration of three national CSO networks. In Senegal, 15 CSOs launched the Réseau devoir de Vigilance Sénégal (2) in March 2023, a framework for reflection and exchange on issues arising from the activities of companies, particularly extractive industries. Regular meetings are organised to enable CSOs to share their experiences and strategies for monitoring company activities and protecting human rights and the environment. The mapping of violations has enabled priority areas for advocacy activities to be identified. Sharing experience within the network strengthens the capacity of CSOs to take collective action in favour of more protective public policies and legal frameworks for communities, workers and the environment.
Similar networks have emerged in Togo and Benin, with 9 and 8 CSOs respectively. From 2022 to 2023, new workshops have been organised, particularly on advocacy techniques and methods, to support the work of these networks.
I learnt a lot at the training course in Kaolack, and I was then able to share it with the rest of my team. The project's approach is relevant, especially the part on mobilising CSOs.
Involving the media in documenting and disseminating information
In addition to CSO representatives, more than 20 women and men from the media – national and local media, both print and broadcast media – were also trained in the three countries. As well as enabling them to better document and share information on cases of corporate abuse of human rights and the environment, the aim was for these journalists to be able to publicise the demands of civil society, in particular by covering the activities of CSOs.
In Togo, a workshop with 12 journalists took place in Lomé, in partnership with the Fédération internationale des journalistes, éditeurs et écrivains francophones (FIJEEF). The participants benefited from capacity-building on the challenges of corporate accountability in terms of human rights and environmental abuses, and on the tools for deciphering and analysing these abuses. These activities give journalists a better understanding of the project’s advocacy priorities so that they can disseminate them more effectively.
Conducting advocacy activities with institutional actors
In November 2022, a first day of reflection between civil society and institutional actors was organised in Dakar, Senegal, by the NGO La Lumière, the Comité Sénégalais des Droits de l’Homme, Sherpa and RSE et Développement France, with the support of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation. The day was an opportunity for the CSOs present, such as the Network of People Affected by Mining Operations (PAPOM) and Action pour la Justice Environnementale (AJE), to make the following demands upon the 7 institutional actors present:
- reforming land legislation to ensure better protection of the land rights of local communities and greater transparency in the process of expropriation in the public interest;
- strengthening compensation mechanisms to ensure fair and adequate compensation for communities affected by major industrial or infrastructure projects;
- strengthening the application of environmental and social management plans validated by companies and their funders, to minimise negative impacts on communities and the environment.
Then in June 2023, 10 Togolese and 7 Beninese institutional actors representing ministries, the presidency, national human rights institutions, and parliamentarians were trained during workshops organised in Lomé and Cotonou by RSE et Développement Togo and RSE BENIN, in the presence of Sherpa, RSE et Développement France and the NGO La Lumière. As well as presenting cases of human rights and environmental abuses, these training days were an opportunity for local CSOs to conduct advocacy work, which led to discussions with institutional players. The speakers presented information on the history of CSR and on local content in Senegal (3), as well as on the implications for West African countries of the French law on duty of vigilance and the European discussions in favour of a directive on duty of vigilance.
RSE BENIN and its partners, in particular the NGO Changement Social Bénin and Nature Tropicale, also carried out advocacy on the employment law in Benin and on the obligation for companies building public infrastructure to publish environmental impact assessments.
Raising awareness and involving communities in advocacy
Since November 2023, the organisations involved in the Vigilance Project have been carrying out awareness-raising activities. In Togo’s central and plateau regions, 203 people from 8 villages were informed about the project in November and December 2023. These activities, which are continuing in the maritime region, aim to:
- raising awareness among community leaders and people living near extractive zones of their rights, and of human rights and environmental law in general;
- making it easier for them to understand the duty of vigilance and CSR;
- making data available on companies whose activities have an impact on communities and their environment;
- identifing advocacy issues.
The first activities were carried out by the NGO Dimension Humaine (central region) and the associations NADDAF and Together 4 Change (T4F, plateau region), members of the Togo consortium. Radio broadcasts were also shared in the main towns of these two regions (Sokodé and Atakpamé), to reach more people. Similar activities are planned in Benin, near Cotonou and in 2 other regions, and in 6 regions of Senegal.
Perspectives opened up by the Vigilance Project
The Vigilance Project represents an important step in the fight for social justice and the protection of fundamental rights in Togo, Benin and Senegal. By providing organisations with the necessary tools, our organisations are strengthening the voice of civil society in the promotion of an economic model where companies operate with respect for human rights, the dignity of all, and the environment.
The implementation of the Vigilance Project highlights the need for African countries, particularly Benin, Senegal and Togo, to strengthen existing frameworks for the protection of human rights and the environment in the context of corporate activities. The project also stresses the importance of advocacy work with political decision-makers at national level, but also at decentralised levels (municipalities, regions) to ensure that the demands of local residents and workers are taken into greater account.
