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Respecting human rights
We recognise our responsibility to respect human rights in all aspects of doing business. We focus on four areas where human rights are critical to the way we operate: communities, security, labour rights and supply chains.
Our approach applies to all our employees and contractors and is informed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the core conventions of the International Labour Organization, and the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Our approach is set out in our Shell General Business Principles, Code of Conduct, and Shell Supplier Principles.
We have embedded human rights into our existing frameworks and processes to demonstrate we respect human rights across the business.
Approach to human rights
Approach to human rights
Our Health, Safety, Security, Environment and Social Performance (HSSE&SP) Control Framework sets out how we identify, assess and manage our impacts on communities where we operate - including any impact on human rights - and how we engage respectfully with our neighbours. Our goal is to keep employees, contractors and facilities safe, while respecting the human rights of local communities in accordance with the UN Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights.
The Shell Supplier Principles include specific expectations for contractors and suppliers covering business integrity, health and safety, social performance, and labour and human rights. Our joint venture partners are expected to implement our control framework or an equivalent (see Non-operated ventures).
We have made several external regulatory declarations that describe how we manage human rights risks in our supply chains. We expect our contractors and suppliers to obey the national laws and international standards that require them to treat workers fairly, and to provide a safe and healthy work environment.
In 2018, we joined forces with our industry peers to create a Common Framework for Supplier Labour Rights Assessment. The initiative is designed to make it easier for suppliers to demonstrate how they respect human rights and care for people; this transparency is intended to improve working conditions in our companies’ supply chains.
We have community feedback mechanisms at all our major facilities. These mechanisms, along with a global helpline operated by an independent provider, enable employees, people in the communities where we operate, contractors and any third party to raise concerns, so they can be resolved.
We also consult with international organisations, companies and civil society to understand and respond to current and emerging human rights issues relevant to our business. These include the global oil and gas industry association for environmental and social issues IPIECA, and the human rights working group of Business for Social Responsibility.
Read more on our approach to human rights at www.shell.com/humanrights and our external regulatory declarations at www.shell.com/external-voluntary-codes.