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Rights & Democracy Supports Shareholder Action on Talisman Energy

Rights & Democracy urges the management and shareholders of Talisman Energy to support the human rights proposal that was put forward by a coalition of religious and institutional investors at the annual shareholders meeting held today in Calgary.

CALGARY - May 03, 2000 - Rights & Democracy urges the management and shareholders of Talisman Energy Inc. to support the human rights proposal that was put forward by a coalition of religious and institutional investors at the annual shareholders meeting held today in Calgary.

"The preamble of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights is very clear. It is not only States, but also individuals and every organ of society that must strive to promote human rights and secure their universal and effective recognition and observance. Talisman is Canada's largest independent oil company and it is operating in close collaboration with a government that has been shown repeatedly to abuse the human rights of its citizens. Talisman has a moral if not a legal obligation, to its shareholders and to the citizens of Sudan to ensure that it is in no way complicit with violations of human rights taking place in the country. Talisman should be part of the solution, not part of the problem."

"The evidence is now overwhelming that Talisman's operations in the Sudan are contributing to the desperate human rights situation in that country. It is unconscionable that Talisman has not issued a public response to the findings of the Harker mission," Ms. Mahoney said in a statement. In his report to the Minister of Foreign Affairs earlier this year, John Harker found evidence that people were being displaced for oil development and that the government of Sudan had used company installations and oil revenues to conduct armed attacks on civilians.

Much more needs to be done to ensure that Talisman and other companies respect their international human rights obligations. "Talisman has taken the first step by adopting the International Code of Ethics for Canadian Business. The company now must engage in an open and transparent dialogue with non-governmental organizations concerned about its activities, in both Canada and Sudan. It must also implement effective, credible and independent monitoring of its operations to ensure there is no complicity with human rights abuses."

The Talisman case points to a need for other reforms:

-Large shareholders should develop human rights criteria before investing their money to ensure that their investments do not conflict with their values.

-The Special Economic Measures Act needs to be reformed so that the Canadian government has the ability to act quickly when private firms refuse to meet their human rights obligations.

"Many Canadians would be shocked to know that their hard-won savings are being used to fuel a civil war that has caused an estimated two million deaths. To cite only a few examples, if you are a teacher in British Columbia or Ontario, if you buy certain Royal Bank mutual funds, if any of your money is managed by the Caisse de dépôt et de placement du Québec, that is exactly where your money is going," said Ms. Mahoney. " We all have a responsibility to see that the companies we invest in are not making a profit at the price of human lives and human dignity, both deeply threatened in Sudan."

Rights & Democracy is a Canadian institution with an international mandate working with citizens and governments in Canada and abroad to promote human rights and democratic development through dialogue, advocacy, capacity building and public education. It focuses on four themes: democratic development, women's rights, indigenous peoples' rights, and globalization and human rights.