Page 47 - 2019 Sustainability Report

Engaging Leading Human Rights Experts
GTE and renowned business and human rights experts Shift collaborated in 2019 to identify and work to address human rights issues related to GTE’s business operations and value chain. Shift is the leading centre of expertise on the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs). The nonprofit organization is chaired by John Ruggie who authored the Guiding Principles during his mandate as the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative on business & human rights.
Between February and June 2019, GTE worked with Shift to review its national and local human rights context, company policies and previous social impact evaluations. Shift introduced GTE staff to
a methodology for effectively assessing human rights risks. Shift also facilitated discussions with GTE’s management, corporate responsibility personnel and other field staff at the company’s operations sites in Putumayo and the Middle Magdalena Valley, in order to build additional capacity within the company for managing human rights issues.
Shift also participated in a multi-stakeholder dialogue organized by Gran Tierra in Bogotá, that included government entities
and regulatory bodies, diplomats and representatives of other companies. Part of the dialogue involved asking participants to discuss the impacts of the relevant human rights issues from their perspectives. The event is just one example of efforts by Gran Tierra to continue supporting and participating in a very important conversation about human rights in Colombia.
Partnering with Shift has been a game-changer for us at Gran Tierra Energy. We are committed as a company to integrate the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights in our business and this partnership has allowed us to take our focus on human rights to the next level. We are grateful to continue to work with the Shift team, and look forward to their guidance and expertise in order to become a human rights leader in our industry and in support of Colombia and Ecuador.
Diego Perez-Claramunt, Vice President, Health Safety and Environment (HSE) & Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Gran Tierra Energy
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