The Human Rights dimensions of International Petroleum Transactions - Article Example

The Human Rights dimensions of International Petroleum Transactions No: The Human Rights dimensions of International Petroleum TransactionsWe may find a number of examples in the International Petroleum Transactions wherein petroleum companies were involved in supporting and funding the locals to use them for achieving desired objectives. The economists intermittently identify the risks associated with the business of oil exploration in conflict zones such as a) oil and gas pipelines can be destroyed by terrorist attacks b) contracts can be thrown out by dishonest stakeholders having nefarious designs and c) unstable economy of host government can fall down like a house of cards.

Finally yet importantly, the other day companies operating in countries with unpleasant governments had to face tough time because of non-governmental organizations that endanger their most inestimable assets, their good reputation1. The ignorance of human rights’ responsibilities by the multinational companies around the globe in general and the multinational companies specifically operating in unattractive areas are vulnerable to the print and electronic media and nongovernmental organizations.

If we study the latest Human Rights Report, it is clear that it indicates the positive role of MNCs in reducing the human rights violations to some extent. However, it was felt that more effort needs to be made to satisfy the cited Medias (print and electronic media) and the NGOs2. Now the international companies realized that business and protection of human beings is necessary to create conducive environment to carry on their businesses. The following publications may provide the readers an insight of corporate responsibilities of International Companies towards protection of human rights in their area of operations: a) Corporations and Human Rights, b) Crackdown in the Niger Delta, c) Human Rights Violations In Nigerias Oil Producing Region, d) The Price Of Oil: Corporate Responsibility and Human Rights Violations in Nigerias Oil Producing Communities and e) The Enron Corporation: Corporate Complicity in Human Rights Violations3.

The year 1994 is remembered for a longer period in the history of oil and gas in view of the execution of KEN Saro Wiwa and other human rights’ activists by the Nigerian regime. Soon after the said incident, Shell came under immense pressure and scrutiny of international human rights’ groups and the press. Initially the top notch of Shell denied their hands in executing mentioned human rights activists. Later on, it compelled Shell responsible officials to sit with the Human Rights Groups of United Kingdom to revisit their inhuman rights policies and to align it with the new responsibilities of global economy4.

In Sudan, thousands of people have been executed, maimed and displaced in the horrible civil war that took place between the Muslims and the Christian rebels. This gory incident brought the Canadian Talisman Energy Company and the rest of the multinational oil companies to face the wrath of coalition of NGOs and the religious groups. The responsible officials of the companies were to face the charges of fueling civil war amongst the mentioned segments of the society by releasing funds and supplying lethal weapons to be used by the Khartoum dynasty to abuse human rights, which includes slavery of the kids and the women5.

To monitor the human rights violations in the mentioned regime, Canadian Talisman is engaged with Price Waterhouse Cooper of London to develop human rights monitoring mechanism to respect human rights. Myanmar now is a known place for the entire world in terms of flagrant human rights violations. Texaco and the former Atlantic Richfield are accused of making windfall from human rights violations inflicted upon the living residents of nearby oil fields with the connivance of Myanmar Army. In the year 1996, Earth Rights, an International group of human rights activist / environmentalist impressed upon the Unocal, Total and the Premier for immediate withdrawal of forced labor in the region.

Earth Rights in its report made Myanmar Army responsible for environmental destruction, forced relocation, torture, and brutal executions in a mass scale6. BibliographyBennett, J 2001, Business in Zones of Conflict - The Role of the Multinationals in Promoting Regional Stability. [Online]. [Accessed 8 September 2012]Economist (May 20, 2000), Business in Difficult Places: Risky Return, The Economist 355 (8171), 85-88.Smith, E., J. Dzienkowski and O. Anderson (et al) 2010, International Petroleum Transactions, 2nd ed.

, Rocky Mountains Mineral Foundation, Denver, Colorado.