Politically sensitive regions

Operating on a day-to-day basis in politically sensitive countries raises a number of challenges. These vary depending on the country but frequently the challenges are in relation to human rights, security and environmental issues but may also involve bribery and corruption, standards of governance and application of international law.

Our approach to politically sensitive regions

Throughout our 100-year history, we have seen many governments rise and fall. We apply our  Business Principles in all countries in which we operate. The ability to uphold these Business Principles is a prerequisite for our involvement in any project.

Our company-wide security standard sets the guidelines for how we keep our people and facilities safe without violating the human rights of our neighbours. For example, we use armed security only when required by law, or where there is no other acceptable way to manage security risks.

We abide by international law. When the international community imposes sanctions on a country, usually in the case of wars or human rights abuses, our policy is clear – we respect international law and follow the sanctions. For example, we did not operate in Iraq when the country was under United Nations sanctions.

When individual countries impose broad sanctions or specific export restrictions in countries where we operate, we review our activities and continuously follow external developments closely, in consultation with a wide range of governments and other stakeholders.