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ConocoPhillips Improves Corporate Human Rights Position August 12th, 2011
ConocoPhillips has amended its corporate Human Rights policy to include recognition of the rights of indigenous peoples as articulated in UN declarations and conventions. This action, approved by ConocoPhillips Chair/CEO Jim Mulva as well as the Board of Directors, is one result of ICCR member shareholder dialogs with the company led by Steven Heim at Boston Common Asset Management. The Oblates have been engaged in this dialog for several years and remain deeply concerned about the impacts of corporate activity – particularly oil and gas exploration – on indigenous peoples.
The company’s position on the rights of indigenous peoples now reads:
“The Company’s approach to engagement with indigenous communities, in locations where they are an important stakeholder group for our operations, is consistent with the principles of the International Labour Organization Convention 169, concerning Indigenous and Tribal Peoples, and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.”
In May of this year, the company announced it was pulling out of a controversial project slated for northern Peru. The project threatened two uncontacted tribes in the area.
Read the company’s Human Rights Position statement…
Latin America Church Conference on Mining Issues Final Document July 8th, 2011
Oblates from Bolivia, Peru and the United States participated in an international conference on Extractive Industries focused on “the problem of natural resources in Latin America and the mission of the church”. The conference was organized and sponsored by the Justice and Solidarity Department of CELAM (Bishops Conference of Latin America) and MISEREOR at a retreat center in Chaclacayo – Lima – Peru, June 14 – 16 2011.
The conference final document is available in Spanish.
Oblates at International Conference on Mining and the Church in Latin America June 22nd, 2011
Oblates from Bolivia, Peru and the United States have participated in an international conference on Extractive Industries focused on “the problem of natural resources in Latin America and the mission of the church”. The conference was organized and sponsored by the Justice and Solidarity Department of CELAM (Bishops Conference of Latin America) and MISEREOR at a retreat center in Chaclacayo – Lima – Peru, June 14 – 16 2011.
Roberto Carrasco Rojas OMI, Edgar Nolasco OMI from the Oblate mission of St Clothilde, Peru, Gilberto Pauwels OMI from Oruro in Bolivia and Séamus Finn OMI from the USP JPIC office in Washington DC joined more than 70 participants from the diocese and communities situated on the front lines of the extraordinary expansion of the extractive industries in Latin America.
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