Sustainable Development > Community Engagement > Human Rights & Security Human Rights & Security |
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Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. has made strong, unequivocal commitments to human rights. This commitment is expressed in our Social, Employment & Human Rights Policy, which requires us to conduct our operations in a manner consistent with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, to educate our employees about human rights and to protect any employee who reports suspected human rights violations. With regard to employees, the policy states a prohibition of forced and child labor, and addresses health and safety, discrimination, wages and the right to unionize. Security department employees participate in ongoing human rights training and are required to periodically certify compliance with our human rights policy. Contractors and privatized companies serving us must also comply with this policy or implement their own similar policy. As discussed earlier in this report, we are currently updating and broadening the policy to more clearly address the diverse social and cultural aspects of our larger geographic footprint as the new Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. In Indonesia, we have assigned a senior Papuan as our Human Rights Compliance Officer. He is responsible for the full implementation of our Social, Employment & Human Rights Policy and for educating our employees and contract partners in the areas of social responsibility and human rights. The Human Rights Compliance Officer reports to an executive vice president within PT Freeport Indonesia. During 2007, we conducted training on our Social, Employment & Human Rights Policy in Indonesia for more than 7,000 employees, and an expanded educational program is being carried out in 2008. In addition, through our closed-circuit television system, we periodically broadcast an informative video explaining the policy and its application to our organization. If a human rights violation were to be reported, information about that violation would be forwarded to the Indonesian Human Rights Commission. Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. joined other mining and oil and gas companies and human rights organizations in endorsing the joint U.S. Department of State-British Foreign Office Voluntary Principles on Human Rights and Security. Twice each year, participants in the voluntary principles program meet to review their implementation and to seek better ways to provide security for extractive industry operations around the world to protect employees and investments while assuring the highest level of human rights compliance. Our representatives regularly participate in these meetings. Overseeing the development and implementation of our policy on human rights is an internationally recognized expert, Judge Gabrielle Kirk McDonald. Judge McDonald has been a distinguished civil rights attorney and United States federal judge and most recently served as President of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. She serves as Special Counsel on Human Rights to Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. As a member of our Board of Directors, Judge McDonald reports regularly to the Board on human rights issues and developments. |
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