The Voluntary Principles (VPs) are a set of standards that guide companies in maintaining the safety and security of their operations within a framework that ensures respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. They provide the criteria companies should follow in evaluating the risks of complicity in human rights abuses with regards to their security arrangements, and they guide relationships between companies and both public and private security forces in order to reduce the risk of human rights abuses and promote respect for human rights within their security operations. Read the full document.

The VPs were the result of a consultation process which involved the governments of the USA and UK, extractive and energy companies from those countries and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). They were launched in 2000 and since then, several new participants have joined, including the governments of Norway and the Netherlands. Today, the VPs include the governments of the four countries, 16 companies based in those countries and 7 NGOs. Participants meet at least once a year in plenary meetings.

Amnesty International has been a participant in the VP process since its inception in 2000. It welcomed their launch and supported the process leading up to their public announcement. During the last five years, Amnesty International has consistently advocated for a more credible process. To this end, it has demanded that the principles be made more rigorous, by working towards the establishment of a reliable reporting mechanism.

In 2005, Amnesty International published the report: Nigeria: Ten years on: Injustice and Violence haunt the oil Delta. In it, Amnesty scrutinizes the conduct of Chevron and Shell, both participant companies in the VP process, in light of violent incidents in early 2005 in the Niger Delta. The report raises questions regarding the efficacy of the VPs. Despite the fact that both Shell and Chevron have adhered to the VPs, both incidents involved human rights abuses by security forces which the VPs failed to prevent. As a consequence, Amnesty International has raised concerns with the companies regarding their real efforts to implement the VPs in their operations.

During the last VP plenary meeting on 19-20 January 2006, the main topics discussed involved:

• Governance of the VP process,
• Annual reporting requirements on implementation of the VPs.

Resolution of these issues is fundamental for the credibility and efficacy of the whole process. In particular, there is a need to establish clear and transparent governance criteria for the evaluation of performance and possible suspension of non-compliant existing members. It is also of crucial importance to implement a regular reporting mechanism that guarantees accountability of participants.

Read the NGO's Joint Statement regarding the Participation Criteria

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