Business Quote by Peter Maurer
“Businesses operating in fragile or conflict-affected environments bear a responsibility to, at the very minimum, do no harm and avoid fuelling conflict or reinforcing fragility.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: UN Secretary‑General remarks on fragile states, 2021
Leaders must ensure actions do not worsen conflict or weaken societies.
In simple terms: Avoid causing harm in unstable areas.
Key Takeaway
Prioritize safety and stability.
Themes
responsibility
conflict
fragility
ethics
Mood
cautious
reflective
Type
policy
ethical
When to use this quote
- peacekeeping missions
- NGO projects
- corporate CSR
- investment decisions
Key Concepts
humanitarian law
risk management
Questions to Reflect On
- How can organizations measure “do no harm”?
- What safeguards prevent reinforcing fragility?
A Different Perspective
Balancing aid with unintended consequences is complex.
![“[S]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once, for example, when I was just starting out in the food business, I was hired by the caper people to develop a lot of recipes using capers, and it was weeks of…” quote by Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d79/nora-ephron-1217_business_s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-th_980.jpg)
![“If the State does not acquire supremacy over [vast private] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State.” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bad/bertrand-russell-69_acquire_if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy_1379.jpg)