Companies OK principles to cut abuse

Seven American and British companies with investments in either oil or mining in underdeveloped countries have agreed to a set of principles aimed at protecting their security interests while minimizing risks to human rights.

Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said the agreement grew out of a joint initiative of the U.S. and British governments. She said the voluntary commitments have the support of several human rights groups that have been critical of the rights records abroad of oil and mining companies.

The initiative led to principles ``that we hope and expect will become the global standard in the oil and mining industries,'' Albright told reporters.

Agreement to the principles was announced in a joint statement by the United States and British governments, outlined in a seven-page statement.

A State Department official said extractive companies operating in remote areas of poor countries sometimes are targeted by local protesters and frequently must use their own security officials to protect their assets. This often has resulted in bloodshed, deaths and public-relations nightmares for the companies.

Among problem countries for oil and mining investors are Nigeria, Colombia, Indonesia, Equatorial Guinea, Papua New Guinea, Chad, Cameroon, Ecuador and Angola, the official said.

American oil companies supporting the process are Chevron, Texaco and Conoco. Their British counterparts are Shell and BP. Also on board were two mining companies: Freeport MacMoran, of the United States, and the British company Rio Tinto.

One principle establishes that companies should not hire for security work people credibly implicated in human rights abuses. Another holds that ``force should be used only when strictly necessary and to an extent proportional to the threat.'' Also, ``the rights of individuals should not be violated while exercising the right to exercise freedom of association and peaceful assembly.''

The companies also agreed to act to ensure that transfers of equipment to public or private security forces not be diverted for use in suppressing human rights.

In that connection, the State Department official recalled a published report two years ago in which a major foreign company loaned earth-moving equipment to the Indonesian Army to dig mass graves in Ache. The company is not a signatory to the statement of principles.

The official also cited the case of mobile police in Nigeria who used an oil company helicopter to attack an offshore platform owned by the company. The attack was prompted by protesters who allegedly overran the platform.

In Colombia, the official said, leftist rebels frequently target oil pipelines partly owned by American companies.

The principles include recommended responses to human rights abuses.

Companies ``should record and report any credible allegations of human rights abuses by public security in their areas of operation to appropriate host government authorities,'' the statement said.

``Where appropriate, companies should urge investigation and that action be taken to prevent any recurrence,'' the document said.

Nongovernmental organizations which officially welcomed the commitments are Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, International Alert, Lawyers Committee for Human Rights, Fund for Peace, Council on Economic Priorities, Business for Social Responsibility, the Prince of Wales Business Leaders Forum and the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions. (*)