Voluntary Principles on Human Rights

Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights in 2013

United States views on international law [1] in relation to Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights: On March 13 and 14, 2013, the United States participated in the annual plenary meeting of the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights Initiative in The Hague. On the opening day of the plenary, the United States released its first public report on U.S. efforts to implement the Voluntary Principles, available at (Secretary of State website) state.gov/j/drl/rls/vprpt/2012/206029.htm. The State Department explained the outcome of the meeting in a March 20, 2013 media note, available at (Secretary of State website) state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2013/03/206458.htm:

As a result of the meeting last week, participants will move ahead with an impact study that will explore how the Voluntary Principles make a difference on the ground. Fourteen of the 22 participating companies also led a conversation on the status of their pilot project on developing and integrating a set of key performance indicators into their systems. These indicators guide and assist in validating the ways that companies fulfill the commitments they make under the Voluntary Principles, to maintain high standards while they do business in difficult parts of the world. At the end of the meeting, Participants welcomed the Swiss chairmanship of the Initiative for the upcoming year.

Some Aspects of Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights

The Voluntary Principles Initiative began in 2000 when governments, multinational corporations, and non-governmental organizations endorsed principles to guide private companies in the extractive industries in an effort to make sure that when companies extract resources in difficult places, they take tangible steps to minimize the risk of human rights abuses in the surrounding communities. See this world legal encyclopedia (in relation to issues that took place in the year 2000) at 364-68. As of the 2013 plenary, the Voluntary Principles Initiative included 22 oil, mining, and gas companies; eight governments; and 13 non-governmental organizations. In 2012, the participants approved the creation of an association under Dutch law to be based in The Hague to administer the initiative. See this world legal encyclopedia (in relation to issues that took place in the year 2012) at 409-10.

Resources

Notes

1. Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights in the Digest of United States Practice in International Law