Human rights and VPSHR

Commitments to human rights

Total E&P Mozambique Area 1 (TEPMA1) commits to respecting human rights during the development and operation of the Mozambique LNG Project. This commitment is set out in TEPMA1’s Human Rights Policy and Code of Conduct, both of which can be accessed from this page.

These documents align with international standards and global best practices in particular the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact and the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights (VPSHR) Initiative.

In turn, these global best practice guidelines require that an operation assesses potential human rights impacts and define and implement appropriate project management measures - a practice that is ensconced in the Project’s human rights commitment.

Human rights due diligence

To deliver its commitment in practically safeguarding human rights, the Project has implanted the following actions:

• In 2015, the Project conducted a Human Rights Impact Assessment (HRIA). The HRIA identified four key human rights risk areas, or salient issues, namely: grievance redress and access to remedy; respect of labour rights in the supply chain; respect of human rights in security; and, land access and resettlement. Mitigations for the identified risks were embedded in a number of project-related social management plans, including the Stakeholder Engagement Plan (which includes the Community Grievance Mechanism) the Industrial Relations Handbook, the Community-Based Security Plan, and the Resettlement Plan.

• In Q4/2019, an internationally recognised third-party was contracted to implement a Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD) exercise to update the 2015 Human Rights Impact Assessment (HRIA). The HRDD is framed with reference to the International Bill of Human Rights, International Labor Organization (ILO) Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, IFC Performance Standards, OECD Guidelines on Multinational Enterprises and the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights.

The primary objective of the HRDD was to provide a comprehensive review of any potential and actual human rights impacts related to the current country context and phase of development of the Project, and to provide recommendations for further strengthening the measures undertaken to address these impacts.

The assessment included three discrete but related components, namely: an update of the HRIA carried out in 2015, a Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights Risk Assessment and Social Performance Assessment which reviewed the various elements of the social performance management system.

The HRDD report identifies the following as salient issues:

• Security (Community security and Interaction with public security providers)
• Resettlement
• Women’s rights and gender equity
• Workers’ rights (Freedom of association)
• Information and consultation
• Community health and safety
• Project-induced in-migration (PIIM)
• Access to remedy

The Human Rights Due Diligence report also presented a Human Rights Due Diligence Action Plan Framework setting out an approach to addressing recommendations.

Human rights due diligence action plan

Based on the HRDD Report and specifically the Human Rights Due Diligence Action Plan Framework, the Project has developed a Human Rights Due Diligence Action Plan. The HRDD Action Plan addresses fundamental assessment, monitoring and communication actions for each of the salient issues identified in the HRDD report.