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Corporate Social Responsibility (IVOR nr. 77) 2010/9.4.3
9.4.3 Shell & the Millennium Development Goals in the Niger Delta region
Mr. T.E. Lambooy, datum 17-11-2010
- Datum
17-11-2010
- Auteur
Mr. T.E. Lambooy
- JCDI
JCDI:ADS367035:1
- Vakgebied(en)
Ondernemingsrecht (V)
Voetnoten
Voetnoten
UN, 'UN Millennium Development Goals, What are the Millennium Development Goals?', at: http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/, accessed on 28 June 2010.
Shell, 'Millennium Development Goals', at: http://www.shell.com/home/content/envirosoc-en/society/millennium_development_goals/millenium_dev_goals_26042007.html, accessed on 28 June 2010.
The project is a 30 million dollars revolving credit facility in which Shell, the International Finance Corporation and Diamond Bank participate equally in the funding and risk sharing of the facility.
Shell Nigeria Annual Report 2006, supra note 20, p. 24.
UNDP Nigeria, 'Niger Delta Human Development Report on the Niger Delta', 2006, at: http://web.ng.undp.org/reports/nigeria_hdr_report.pdf, accessed on 28 June 2010.
Regarding the linkage between CSR and sustainable development, it is noted that Shell has expressed its commitment to the MDGs the well-known eight targets universally agreed upon in a common effort to reduce extreme poverty by 2015.1 This section briefly presents some of Shell's initiatives taken under the MDGs in relation to the problems facing the population of the Niger Delta; the intention is not to offer an analysis of the MDGs themselves which has been dealt with in chapter 6.
Shell supports the view that achieving the MDGs stems mainly from the role of governments as "reducing poverty depends on effective public institutions that allow business to create jobs and wealth."2 Its greatest contribution to the MDGs is through providing energy needed for economic and social development.
Nevertheless, Shell has undertaken development projects dedicated to the MDG, such as participating together with the International Finance Corporation and Diamond Bank in a risk-sharing credit programme to finance indigenous contractors operating in the Niger Delta.3 The programme aims to develop the capacities and competitiveness of Nigerian contractors. Moreover, Shell maintains a sustainable community development programme in Nigeria since 2003, which is said to be integrated into the oil and gas project planning. This programme is established through the conclusion of global memoranda of understanding between Shell and the involved communities, which set longterm agreements allowing for sustainable development activities. Such agreements are aimed specifically at improving the management of projects on the levels of accountability and transparency.4 Shell indicated having increased its assistance to reach US$53 million in 2006 on community development projects in Nigeria. Concretely for the Niger Delta, this assistance is translated into, for instance; the construction of roads, the renovation of a health centre, aid to start up community cassava enterprises (a SPDC/USID partnership), university scholarships and malaria drugs for children. In addition, Shell has provided financial support for the publication of the UN Development Programme "Niger Delta Human Development Report", a study analysing why abundant human and natural resources in this region have had little impact on poverty.5 One of the conclusions of this Report is the necessity to undertake a multi-stakeholder approach while involving all levels of government, the Niger Delta Development Commission, the oil companies, the organised private sector, civil society organisations, the representatives of local groups and development agencies in partnership for ensuring a sustainable development and the achievement of the MDGs.
Another last event with a substantial impact on the region needs to be flagged: the emergent presence of China.