BP in Algeria currently operates three major upstream projects in partnership with the Algerian national oil company Sonatrach. Two are natural gas development projects, the In Salah and In Amenas projects and one is an enhanced oil recovery project, at Rhourde el Baguel. BP’s planned spend will exceed $2 billion over the next three years. Today, BP is the largest foreign energy company operating in Algeria and the largest foreign investor in the country.
Although leading international observers of the human rights situation in Algeria have noted over the past two years continued improvements, the same observers still consider the human rights situation to remain generally poor with persisting serious problems including the excessive use of force and the alleged massacre of civilians by armed groups. Within this context, the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights provide guidance for the Algeria Business Unit on maintaining the safety of its operations within an operating framework that ensures respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.
We believe that we have managed to make progress in addressing what is clearly within the sphere of our direct control. We feel confident that with regard to the provision of private security we have initiated a process that will lead to full compliance with the Voluntary Principles. However, we have not been so successful in influencing the area that is out of our direct control - the provision of public security by the State.
BP Algeria staff and contractors providing private security at the installations we operate have been trained and made aware of the Voluntary Principles. However, the Voluntary Principles have not yet been written into contracts with private security contractors - we are therefore committed to ensure that the Voluntary Principles are included in all security contracts. We also plan to set up a process to monitor our contractors performance with respect to the Voluntary Principles.
Security services provided by private contractors are for preventative and defensive activities and do not overlap with the responsibilities of state military or law enforcement authorities. The private security service’s primary role is to assess security needs for BP in our areas of operations and to liase with public security services to meet those needs. The Government of Algeria is responsible for the security of employees and installations in Algeria. BP does not have any contractual relationship with the government regarding the provision of public security. The absence of an agreement limits our ability to influence the performance of public services, including the military, on issues relating to human rights and the provision of security and compliance with the Voluntary Principles.
Despite the difficulties faced in putting into practice the Voluntary Principles vis a vis the provision of security by public forces, we are committed to finding ways to develop a process that will record any credible allegations of human rights abuses by public security services in the areas where we operate. We are committed to establishing a process to report such allegations if they occur.
Bearing in mind Algeria’s international human rights commitments and recent efforts and programmes to improve the protection of human rights in certain areas, we are confident that we can influence and improve the situation. We plan to communicate our support for the Voluntary Principles in a constructive way so as to influence the provision of public security.