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International Campaigns: Nigeria Ogoni Tell Shell "We Want a Clean Up, Not a Cover Up" The Ogoni people and their supporters world-wide are to use the Internet to flood Shell with calls for an urgent investigation of its record in the troubled Niger Delta region of Nigeria. The mass action is planned to coincide with the Royal Dutch/ Shell Transport and Trading Group's Annual General Meeting, to be held at the Queen Elizabeth Conference Centre on Friday May 8th. An international net-work of campaigners will be using e-mail to demand Shell implements the recommendations of a United Nations human rights report (In the UN Special Rapporteur's report on Nigeria, presented to the United Nations Commission of Human Right's 54th Session, held in Geneva on April 15th)criticising the company's involvement in Ogoni. Shell's role in human rights abuse has been the cause of increasing international concern since the murder of MOSOP President Ken Saro-Wiwa in 1995. At this year's AGM Shell will be showcasing its new report - 'Profits and Principles - does there have to be a choice?' (published on April 15th) The report aims to evaluate the combined effects of Shell's financial, social and environmental performance. Shell invites the public to 'Tell Shell' what it thinks about its ethical performance through reply-paid cards and the Internet. According to the report Shell were 'shaken by the tragic execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa'. Shell believe they 'acted honourably' but add that 'the conviction that you are doing things right is not the same as getting them right. For us at least, this has been a very salutary lesson'. Shell hopes the report and the 'Tell Shell' campaign will help it to 'understand society's expectations of multinational companies, and [...] to explore the reputation, image and overall standing of the [Shell] Group'. However, even as the campaign is being announced, Shell's plans to improve its tarnished public image have received a serious set back with the publication of the UN Special Rapporteur's report. The report draws attention to allegations of Shell's involvement in serious human rights abuses. The Special Rapporteur's report repeats claims that: Shell is responsible for environmental devastation of the Niger Delta 'Issues relating to environmental degradation in the River Delta region alleged to be caused by the operations of SPDC (Shell Petroleum Development Corporation is Shell's Nigerian subsidiary) have received insufficient attention'* Shell is colluding with the military in suppressing non-violent protests 'The Nigerian authorities have put at SPDC's disposal a mobile police force to suppress protest' Shell is directly guilty of human rights abuses '[Shell has] a well armed security force which is intermittently employed against [protesters]' The Special Rapporteur supports MOSOP's call for an independent agency to 'determine all aspects of environmental damage due to oil exploration and other operations'. Responding to the report, MOSOP's Acting President Ledum Mitee remarked today: We call on our supporters world-wide to take up Shell's invitation: tell Shell that you will continue to boycott their products for as long as they fuel oppression in Ogoni, devastate our land and the environment of the Niger Delta. 'If Shell is serious about its commitment to balance "principles with profits", it must act immediately to comply with the recommendations of the United Nations Special Rapporteur'. 'We hope Shell will now listen to the demands of the Ogoni people and balance principles with practice'. We demand a clean up, not a cover up, in Ogoni'. Up to Top HOME | Email Signup | About Us | Contact Us | Terms of Use | © 2008 Sierra Club