Oxy aims to conduct its business ethically and responsibly, with respect for the laws, customs and cultural values of the communities in which we operate.
Our commitment is embodied in the formal Human Rights Policy and other companywide policies, procedures and guidelines. It also is reflected in our engagement with local stakeholders, and in our participation with a variety of organizations dedicated to the promotion of human rights.
Our Human Rights Policy delineates Oxy’s commitment to promoting, throughout its operations, those rights and freedoms universally recognized in international as well as national law. Developed in consultation with the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, the Policy defines human rights by referencing four external documents: the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights, the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, and the Global Sullivan Principles of Social Responsibility.
Responsibility for implementing the Policy falls to each business unit; managers are encouraged to take a leadership role in aligning the company’s human rights and social responsibility objectives with their areas’ particular needs, issues and challenges. Compliance is monitored by the Corporate Governance, Nominating and Social Responsibility Committee of the Board of Directors.
Oxy’s contractors are expected to share our commitments to human rights. With limited exceptions that require Compliance Officer approval, Oxy’s contracts with other companies for international operations include provisions that make observance of human rights — and in the case of agreements for security services, the Voluntary Principles — a contractual obligation. Background investigations are required for security personnel at our operations, whether as Oxy employees or as private security contractors. The company provides training materials to contractors at many locations to ensure Policy compliance, content consistency and quality.
Oxy has taken active steps to integrate and institutionalize the Human Rights Policy since its establishment in 2004. This has been accomplished in two key ways: by updating Oxy’s longstanding HES and security policies to incorporate and conform to the Human Rights Policy; and by directly integrating human rights into our HESMS.
Oxy provides human rights training to employees in all of our overseas operations as well as certain domestic functions with significant involvement in international operations. The training sessions cover Oxy’s Human Rights Policy, local laws and culture, and relevant case studies. More than 2,800 Oxy employees have been trained since 2004. In 2008, more than 1,100 contractors received new or refresher training.
Training materials are available to all Oxy employees through the company’s intranet site. In Oman, Qatar, Libya and Colombia, web-based modules in Arabic or Spanish complement in-person training and awareness activities.
In Colombia, 92 percent of Oxy employees and 95 percent of contractors have received training on human rights and the Voluntary Principles. All private security contractors have received human rights training, and all Oxy Colombia security employees have attended special workshops on the Voluntary Principles. Oxy sponsored a workshop in 2008 for Colombian army units assigned by the government of Colombia to protect the oil and gas facilities. Participants learned about Oxy’s commitments to human rights and the Voluntary Principles and engaged in facilitated discussions of case studies on security and human rights.
In accordance with the Human Rights Policy, Oxy conducts risk assessments before launching new projects in international locations. Our goal is to gauge the potential effects, particularly with respect to indigenous communities, of the company’s presence in a given region. In 2008, risk assessments were completed for Qatar and exploration blocks in Yemen, an assessment for Argentina was updated, and additional assessment activities took place in Colombia.
To pursue continuous improvement as required by the HESMS, Oxy Colombia sought feedback from local governments and communities on its implementation of risk assessments and other key stakeholder issues. In addition, an updated risk assessment for the Llanos Norte Basin operations in Arauca, following International Alert’s Conflict Sensitive Business Practices methodology, was initiated with the Center for the Sustainability of Strategic Sectors.
Implementation of the risk-assessment recommendations for La Cira-Infantas continued with the NGOs International Alert and Fundación Ideas para la Paz; the latter conducted an external review including field visits and interviews with stakeholders. Finally, Oxy and Colombian national oil company Ecopetrol jointly adopted an emergency response procedure that incorporates issues identified in risk analyses.
Oxy’s Human Rights Policy, Code of Business Conduct and other policies and standards provide clear procedural guidelines that minimize the risk of human rights violations — echoing principles set forth in the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. Oxy’s Compliance Officers received no complaints or reported violations of the Human Rights Policy in 2008.
Companywide policies protect employees’ freedom of association and prohibit discrimination, forced or compulsory labor and child labor. For example, at La Cira-Infantas, Oxy Colombia conducts audits to ensure compliance with Colombia’s labor laws that protect workers’ rights and benefits and with Oxy’s Equal Employment Opportunity Policy. In 2008, no Oxy operations were identified in which the right to exercise freedom of association was jeopardized. Furthermore, no incidents of forced or compulsory labor, or situations associated with child labor, were identified; nor were there any incidents of violations involving rights of indigenous peoples.