Organized by IPIECA
Short description of the session:
The session will focus the implementation of human rights due diligence in the oil and gas sector. The aim will be to discuss the challenges of human rights due diligence implementation, and the practical solutions to such challenges, in four particular areas relevant to the sector: community engagement, worker rights, responsible security, and supply chain.
It will use IPIECA’s practical guidance on this topic as a structure for the session, aligning with its four sections:
- What is a human rights due diligence process?
- Why is a human rights due diligence process important?
- Developing and implementing a human rights due diligence process
- Resources to support oil and gas companies
It will be an opportunity to generate discussion with attendees and encourage good practice sharing and examples of effective human rights due diligence.
Session objectives:
To further understanding of the good practices of companies engaging in human rights due diligence, in line with the UN Guiding Principles, in their operations, sub contracted activities and supply chains.
Raise awareness and debate some of the implementation challenges faced by the oil and gas sector in relation to human rights due diligence and brainstorm possible solutions to such challenges.
Promote the industry initiative on human rights in the supply chain recently launched at the UN Global Compact in September – a joint initiative between BP, Shell, Total & Equinor.
Use the feedback in the room as an opportunity to develop an updated version of IPIECA’s 2012 guidance on
Human rights due diligence process.Key discussion questions:- What are the possible solutions to some of the challenges for implementing human rights due diligence measures in the areas of community engagement, worker rights, responsible security, and supply chain?
- How can we measure the effectiveness of human rights due diligence solutions?
Format of the session:
The session is designed to be as interactive as possible. It will begin with brief introductory remarks to set the context of human rights due diligence in the oil and gas sector, and IPIECA’s work to date in this area. We will highlight IPIECA’s guidance on
Human rights due diligence process, as well as our current project on
Company and Supply Chain Labour Rights (to be launched soon)
. It will also introduce the new industry initiative on human rights in the supply chain - joint initiative between BP, Shell, Total & Equinor - recently launched at the UN Global Compact in September.
Next, our four moderators will briefly highlight challenges to effective human rights due diligence for the sector related to four key areas:
- Community engagement
- Worker rights
- Responsible security
- Supply chain
We will then divide into four breakout groups, each with a moderator and an IPIECA member company representative, to discuss the topic from these perspectives. Each group will be tasked with discussing possible solutions to the challenges raised.
This will be followed by an opportunity to provide feedback in plenary, sum up overall themes and findings, and Q&A.
Background to the discussion:
IPIECA has been working on, and raising awareness of, human rights issues across the oil and gas industry for over a decade. As a consensus-based membership organization, IPIECA facilitates peer learning, provides authoritative guidance on implementation of business and human rights frameworks, such as the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), and facilitates the development, sharing and promotion of good practices for the industry. A key expectation of the UNGPs is that companies will work with their business partners, including suppliers, to set expectations and use leverage to seek improved human rights performance. As such IPIECA’s human rights programme is expanding beyond direct member human rights impacts, to examine how members can work with, and seek to influence, business partners to respect human rights.
IPIECA’s Business and Human Rights Project has included developing practical guidance on due diligence and community grievance mechanisms that have been widely used throughout the oil and gas industry.
The next phase of IPIECA’s work in this area, is focusing on respect for human rights in the supply chain, initially concentrating on the contracted workforce that the industry relies on to develop and operate its large-scale operations. This is an area of common saliency across the oil and gas industry, and one in which IPIECA members can benefit from peer learning and sharing of good practices. In the face of increasing external scrutiny of labour practices in the supply chain, IPIECA aims to
inform stakeholders, of our industry’s collective commitment and efforts to respect labour rights. It also helps member companies to
anticipate emerging trends and challenges for our industry. Most importantly the project will
enable members to more effectively identify, prevent and mitigate labour rights risks and impacts within projects, operations and supply chains. This will be achieved through the development of practical tools, supported by implementation guidance.
Interpretation is available in Korean.
