Human rights

Human rights are fundamental to Shell's core values of honesty, integrity and respect for people.

Download our Annual Report and Accounts 2025 to read our key sustainability-related information

Respect for human rights is embedded in the Shell General Business Principles and our Code of Conduct.

Shell is committed to respecting human rights, as set out in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Labour Organization's Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.

Our approach is informed by the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

We prioritise four focus areas where respect for human rights is critical to how we operate: at the workplace including labour rights, in supply chains, communities, and security. For each of these areas, we have systems to identify potential impacts and to avoid and mitigate them.

Shell's approach to human rights (PDF, 663 kB)

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Shell's salient human rights issues

Salient human rights are those that are potentially most at risk from a company's operations. As a starting point, they look at issues through the lens of risk to people.

With the support of an external advisor, Business for Social Responsibility (BSR), Shell has carried out an exercise of re-assessing and identifying our current most salient issues, as part of the continued effort to ensure our human rights approach is effective and fit for purpose.

The resulting list of our salient issues is grouped into four categories, reflecting our human rights focus areas. While this table lists our most salient issues, we are committed to monitoring and addressing human rights issues beyond these areas.

We will continue to assess risks and adapt our approach as required.

Focus area	Salient human rights issues	Further reading
Human rights and the workplace	Safe and healthy working conditions Discrimination Decent living conditions in worker's accommodation	Further information includes: Shell’s approach to safety; Diversity, equity & inclusion; Worker welfare, and Shell’s Global Helpline.
Human rights and supply chains	Labour rights of vulnerable workers, including migrant workers, in our supply chain. This includes prevention of child and forced labour, wages and working hours, ethical recruitment, freedom of association and collective bargaining. Safe and healthy working conditions Decent living conditions in worker's accommodation	Further information includes: our annual UK Modern Slavery Act statement; Supplier Principles; Safety, Worker welfare
Human rights and communities	Social impact management Indigenous Peoples and vulnerable communities Land access/acquisition including physical or economic displacement Cultural heritage	Further information includes our approach to working with Communities and Environment.
Human rights and security	Human rights impacts on communities by private security and/or government security forces we rely on Security of employee and contract staff in high-risk environments where we work	For further information, read our Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights (VPSHR) report

Underpinned by stakeholder engagement and access to remedy.

Download and read more

You may read a comprehensive overview of how Shell manages human rights on our website and in Shell's Approach to Human Rights (PDF)
Shell’s approach to human rights (PDF, 663 kB)
Read the latest UK Modern Slavery Act statement
Read the latest Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights report (PDF, 107 kB)

More in people

Worker Welfare

We respect worker rights and promote welfare, enabling better performance through care, reflecting our core values and commitment to safety. When people feel cared for, they perform at their best.

Engaging with communities

Many of our operations are located close to communities. It’s important to have good relationships and open dialogue with our local communities, so we can understand their priorities and concerns, and respond or take action.