Bureau van Dorp

Bureau Van Dorp is a boutique consultancy firm specialized in sustainable economic development and responsible business in fragile and conflict-affected settings. It provides innovative research, advice and training in the field of sustainable economic development and responsible business in emerging markets, with a focus on fragile and conflict-affected situations. The company was founded in 2018 by Mark van Dorp. Since then, assignments have been carried out for over 30 different clients around the globe.

MISSION & VISION

The mission of Bureau Van Dorp is to ensure that private sector actors operate in a way that supports sustainable development, peace and security, wherever they operate, especially in situations of fragility and conflict. To enable this, we apply the concepts of sustainability, conflict-sensitivity, do-no-harm, positive peace and human security.

The company’s vision is a world in which businesses take into account the local context in which they operate, with special attention for the conflict context, power dynamics and the political economy, so that everyone affected by the business, including employees, suppliers, communities and other local actors also benefit from the company’s presence. Ultimately, we strive for a world in which fragility and conflict are fully integrated in existing corporate responsibility standards, including those measuring companies’ SDG contributions and ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) impacts.

SERVICES

Bureau Van Dorp offers tailor-made solutions and expertise in fragile and conflict-affected settings, especially for multinational corporations and investors. We provide the following services:

- Conflict sensitivity analysis

- Value chain mapping

- Enhanced human rights due diligence

- Deep-dive security assessment

- Security & Human Rights Training of private security personnel

- Support on how to better engage with the private sector in fragile and high-risk settings

- Policy and program evaluations in the field of sustainable economic development, private sector development, and responsible business

Bureau Van Dorp has extensive experience in the following sectors: agriculture and agribusiness (coffee, cocoa, palm oil, horticulture, food crops, livestock), forestry, extractives (mining, oil and gas), renewable energy (solar, wind power, biofuels), manufacturing (FMCG, electronics), telecommunications and the financial sector.

Bureau Van Dorp’s experts are available for short-term missions, also in fragile and conflict-affected areas, where we have a large network of local consultants. Bureau Van Dorp works in close partnership with a number of international and local consultancy firms and networks, including Baastel Group (Canada/Belgium), FCS Impact (The Netherlands), MDF (The Netherlands), ODI (UK), Partner Africa (UK) and Tsunagu Network (The Netherlands).

If you have an interest in any of our services or require additional information, kindly reach out to us via email.

CLIENTS

Bureau Van Dorp offers its services to various clients:

Multinational corporations

UN institutions

- IOM (International Organisation for Migration)

- ITC (International Trade Centre)

Development finance institutions

- World Bank Group/ IFC (International Finance Corporation)

- KfW (German Development Bank)

NGOs

- ActionAid

- Hollings Center for International Dialogue

- IDH (Sustainable Trade Initiative)

- International Alert

- Interpeace

- MercyCorps

- Oxfam Novib

- SOMO (Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations)

Academic institutes

- London School of Economics and Political Science

- Radboud University Nijmegen

- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Governments

- Folke Bernadotte Academy (Sweden)

- Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Netherlands

- European Commission

REGIONAL SCOPE

Our geographical scope is Africa, Middle East and Latin America. Bureau Van Dorp has undertaken assignments and has a network of local experts in the following countries:

OUR TEAM

Mark van Dorp

Mark van Dorp, the founder and director of Bureau Van Dorp, is an economist with over 25 years of professional experience in the field of Private Sector Development, Value Chain Analysis, responsible business, ESG (environmental, social and governance) issues, SME support, conflict-sensitive and peace-positive business, and security & human rights, with a focus on fragile and conflict-affected settings. He has worked worldwide in many fragile settings, including Cameroon, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Colombia, Iraq, Lebanon and Pakistan.

“For business leaders, it is no longer possible to mind their own business. It is time to invest in a better understanding of the conflict context in which the company operates. It is time for companies to contribute to security and peace.”

Over the last 15 years, Mark has focused on action-oriented research and consultancy work on how to strengthen investors’ and companies’ strategies and operational capacity to work in a responsible way in fragile settings, as well as to improve value chains and support SMEs, with the ultimate goal to contribute to equitable development and peace building. He has worked in various capacities in projects financed by multinational companies, universities, NGOs, multilateral institutions (including World Bank Group/IFC, UNDP, UNHCR, IOM, ITC), national governments and the European Union. He has authored many reports and peer-reviewed academic articles on these topics and is often invited as a keynote speaker.

In 2018, Mark founded Bureau Van Dorp, and has been working in partnership with a network of international and local consultants. Since 2022, Mark is a Research Associate at LSE IDEAS, the foreign think tank of the London School of Economics and Political Science. He is also an Associate Consultant with ODI (UK). In 2025, Mark co-founded Elevate, a social venture focused on leadership development, systemic transformation, and peace-positive business strategy.

Pieter de Wit

Pieter de Wit is an associate consultant of Bureau Van Dorp, with over five years of experience with business strategy in fragile and conflict-affected societies, conflict analysis, stakeholder relations assessment, and mediation. He has worked in Israel-Palestine, Turkey, Peru, and Mexico, and gained a solid understanding of the cultural-political context of Latin America and Southwest Asia (‘Middle East’). Pieter has a background in International Relations and Organizations (bachelor’s at Leiden University), Business In Society (master’s at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam), and Management and Organization (PhD at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam). He has been working with Bureau van Dorp on a project basis since 2018. Together with colleagues and clients he aims at finding win-win situations that benefit firms, affected communities, and society more broadly.

Be prepared for the challenges around conflict, peace and security.

Bureau Van Dorp is ready to support you.

Contact: info@bureauvandorp.eu

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

“Managers of firms in fragile contexts often have the best intentions but lack the resources for developing conflict-sensitive strategy. Being able to help identify and mitigate risks regarding social impact in these contexts gives me great energy.”