Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights

State Secretary Gry Larsen [1], Norway

 

I am delighted to be here to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Voluntary Principles and to share my vision for the VPs for the next five years.

Norway is a strong supporter of the Voluntary Principles. In a recent white paper on CSR, the Norwegian Government encourages the business sector to join the VPs. Today a range of Norwegian companies, including ones outside the extractive industry such as SN Power, take the VPs into account in all relevant contracts.

I am proud of what we have achieved during these past 10 years. Many companies have made remarkable progress in preventing and addressing human rights abuses committed by their security guards. This year’s annual reports reflect a situation very different to that described in Amnesty’s reports from the Niger Delta that spurred the establishment of the VPs.

We came together to change the rules on the ground, and together we have raised the bar for what is acceptable conduct.

At the same time, we also face daunting challenges.

We must both improve the reporting system and do more on the ground.

Dealing firstly with reporting: we know that information is key to progress. Public reporting should be our goal. Norway has already taken an initiative here and posted VP-related documents on the internet.

Due diligence and public reporting have been dealt with in other initiatives and organs, such as the Kimberley process, the EITI , as well as the OECD. We need to  put our heads together  and figure out a fair and effective way for businesses to report on security and human rights issues. The VPs will become less relevant if we fail to do so.

Secondly, while we all appreciate the importance of lean organisations, we must recognise that the VP is a process and it needs a home, a proper secretariat. The potential collective will of the stakeholders will only be realised if someone has the job of providing coordinating energy. Norway is ready to contribute to strengthening the VP secretariat so that it is better able to address a number of deficiencies that have been identified during the past 10 years.

However, talking about process is not enough. What we really need to talk about is how we can deliver more tangible results.

NGOs and companies need to cooperate more closely on promoting good conduct and correcting unfortunate steps taken on the ground. This topic will take us beyond this four walls, to the sometimes remote and difficult environments in which extractive industries operate. It will take us to places where human rights abuses take place. To the victims, their families and their children.

Because in many cases, companies are operating in an environment they do not fully comprehend, with potential for doing harm. Companies often find that NGOs have better information about community concerns, because they are trusted. We need to look at how governments, the UN, NGOs and local communities can work more coherently on the ground to prevent human rights abuses.

We need NGOs to lend legitimacy to the VPs, and to raise the alarm. The Norwegian research foundation FAFO has created the Red Flags initiative to indicate heightened risk for companies operating in certain areas.

We also need civil society engagement, to facilitate constructive dialogue and develop on-the-ground capacity to be relevant in discussions on process.

Governments, the constituency which I represent, need to demonstrate stronger political leadership and create an enabling environment for the VPs. States can control companies by drawing up and enforcing relevant legislation, by establishing reporting and certification schemes, by facilitating investments, and by contributing to human rights training for security forces. States can also set an example, by being more open about public procurement of security services abroad.

And states should talk with companies about the inherent problems related to the use of force. States should talk with other states. States have a pivotal role to play.

States need to take action on the ground, and not just talk. Norway is doing just that. Last year we provided half a million kroner to help move the VPs forward in Indonesia and Peru, in cooperation with the VP secretariat, international and local NGOs and various companies. I hope that this work in Peru and Indonesia will help to frame best practice for taking in-country efforts forward in other countries – with governments, NGOs and companies joining forces. 

Lord Browne, former CEO of BP, describes the events leading to the establishment of the VPs in his recently published memoirs, commenting that tomato-throwing smoothed the way to a constructive dialogue. Let us make sure that we continue on that path of constructive dialogue and don’t see a return to tomato-throwing.