BP’s operations in Colombia, which were transferred to new ownership in 2011, played a central role in the development of our company-wide approach to security and human rights.
The Casanare province, where BP began operating in the mid-1980s, is an area of Colombia that has been affected by internal conflict, including violence occasionally aimed at multinational companies. In response to a series of threats against oil companies operating in the country, the Colombian government authorized permanent security support for our facilities from the Colombian military and police, and BP agreed to help fund this support through Colombia’s national oil company and BP’s state partner, Ecopetrol. The agreements were implemented with proper governance, and under the supervision of independent agencies. However, several international non-governmental organizations publicly raised concerns.
Soldiers training at the international humanitarian law facility in Cupiagua, Colombia
Implementing the Voluntary Principles
In 2002, our operations in Casanare province became the first in BP to begin implementing the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights, which BP helped to develop as a framework for companies to assess security and human rights risks related to their operations.
Juan Roman was the business security manager for BP Colombia at the time of the initial Voluntary Principles implementation. “For me,” he says, “one of the best indicators that this implementation added value in Colombia is the fact that BP received no human rights allegations in the country from 2002 until we handed over our operations to new ownership in 2011.”
He adds, “There were times when we did receive minor complaints from local communities regarding the behaviour of military troops during their patrols, and such complaints were handled through the formal channels established in our agreements with the Colombian government. In response to some of these minor complaints, the military asked BP for support in creating a new training model on correct environmental behaviours.”
A continuing legacy in Colombia and beyond
For more than a decade, our business in Colombia supported several efforts to strengthen civil society and promote informed governance. The international humanitarian law training facility in Cupiagua, which BP helped to fund, provides training including classroom time and re-enactment of real-life situations. More than 32,000 soldiers have gone through the course since it began in 2003.
BP learned many lessons through our experiences in Colombia – on the way we engage host government security, manage requests for assistance and respond to incidents. These insights are reflected in the Voluntary Principles guidance we now use throughout our operations, where required.
