The Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights
In 2000, the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights (VPs) were developed by the U.S. Department of State; the United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office; oil, mining, and energy companies; and human rights, labor, and corporate responsibility NGOs. The VPs were created in response to the concerns of governments, extractive companies, and civil society over difficult operating environments that created challenges to both security and human rights. The VPs are designed to provide practical guidance that will strengthen human rights safeguards in company security arrangements in the extractive sector. More information is available at: www.voluntaryprinciples.org.
Currently, the VP participants include 5 governments (Canada, Netherlands, Norway, U.K., and U.S.); 18 oil, gas, and mining companies; and 8 international NGOs. DRL/ILCSR represents the U.S. Government in regular meetings of the VPs participants and participates in VPs in-country working group activities. Both in and outside of these meetings, DRL/ILCSR regularly engages company participants in their implementation of the VPs.
Corporate Participants
Amerada Hess Corporation
Anglo American
AngloGold Ashanti
BG Group
BHP Billiton
BP
Chevron
ConocoPhillips
ExxonMobil
Freeport McMoRan Copper and Gold
Hydro
Marathon Oil
Newmont Mining Corporation
Occidental Petroleum Corporation
Rio Tinto
Shell
Statoil Hydro
Talisman Energy
NGO Participants
Amnesty International
The Fund for Peace
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights First
International Alert
IKV Pax Christi
Oxfam
Pact, Inc.
Government Participants
Canada
The Netherlands
Norway
United States of America
United Kingdom
Observers
International Committee of the Red Cross
International Council on Minerals and Metals
International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association
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