As stated in the Code of Conduct, Total upholds the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the United Nations Global Compact. There are no exceptions to this commitment, even in challenging countries. Sensitive situations require increased vigilance, especially when it comes to ensuring the safety of our employees and the security of our installations.

Cooperating with the UN on the role of businesses

Total is actively participating in the process conducted by the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General on "Human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises.&rdquo This dialogue and the resulting norms will contribute to greater consistency and the development of national legislative frameworks while clarifying the role of businesses in upholding human rights.

Paying even closer attention to human rights and high-risk situations

Half of the Ethics Committee's assessment guidelines involve upholding human rights, a point that has been verified since 2002.

Total now wants to strengthen the preventive component of our process, by stressing employee awareness and impact assessments.

• The first step will be introducing human rights training for employees. Total is working with oil industry operators, notably through IPIECA's Social Responsibility Working  Group. In 2006, we were involved in the development of the Human Rights Training Toolkit for the Oil & Gas Industry. A working session in London hosted IPIECA members and representatives of civil society, who were invited to attend as observers to broaden the discussion.We presented our experience in Myanmar at IPIECA's first regional workshop, held in Kuala Lumpur in late 2006. In addition to participating in various IPIECA regional workshops, we will use the  toolkit in our internal education programs.
• The Ethics Committee's other priority is to make the consideration of human rights a more established part of the process, both during project design and in day-to-day dealings near our facilities. The Committee is working on creating a human rights impact and compliance assessment tool. Intended for use as an operational resource, it has been under construction since September 2006, in partnership with the Danish Institute for Human Rights.

Policy regarding indigenous peoples

Total is aware that operating in areas inhabited by indigenous peoples is a particularly sensitive issue. As stated our Policy regarding indigenous peoples set up in 2003, Total recognize the definitions of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and abide by International Labour Organization Convention C 169.

An attentive presence in sensitive countries

Security policy
In all countries, including the most sensitive, we take all necessary measures to ensure the safety of employees and contractors and reduce the risks to our facilities . The Group Security Policy outlines our principles in this area:

• Support for universal human rights principles, especially the recommendations of the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights (VPSHR) published in 2000 under the auspices of the U.S. State Department and the U.K. Foreign Office. The Voluntary Principles guide companies in maintaining the safety and security of their operations within an operating framework that ensures respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. Voluntary Principles training was developed in 2005, in addition to the guide for business unit managers distributed in 2004 to ensure application at the most sensitive sites. Four two-day sessions were held in Nigeria and one in Yemen in 2006.
• Management of security based on risk prevention, planning for potential crisis situations, training and dialogue.

Specific measures when needed
Several sensitive situations in 2005 required that Total deploy specific action plans:

• The political and social environment in Nigeria required Total to remain extremely vigilant. Assets, especially pipelines, are frequently attacked or looted, personnel are kidnapped, and relations with local residents are often strained. Total in Nigeria case study (lien vers Opérer dans un contexte difficile)
• A number of crisis situations in Chad, Lebanon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Nigeria forced us to repatriate some Total employees and their families

Total is also very alert to potential terrorist threats, particularly during transportation of our products. To learn more, see the section on Safety/Transportation of our products .

Preparing our return to Sudan
Security issues in Sudan caused us to suspend the exploration operations begun in 1980. In late 2004, Total signed an agreement with the Sudanese government updating the 1980 accord and spelling out the terms and conditions for resuming our operations in Sudan. The peace agreement signed in January 2005 and the creation of a government of national unity may enable Total to resume operations in the country. Learn more about Total in Sudan.

Implementing our ethics process in Myanmar
Total's presence in Myanmar since 1992 has generated considerable controversy. Although Total shares the concerns of the international community about the human rights situation in Myanmar, we believe that our presence has positive lasting benefits for the region. Learn more about our presence in Myanmar.