[wanabidii] Press Releases: United States Assumes Chair of the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights Initiative

You are subscribed to Press Releases for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Press Releases: United States Assumes Chair of the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights Initiative 03/18/2015 03:11 PM EDT United States Assumes Chair of the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights Initiative Media Note Office of the Spokesperson Washington, DC March 18, 2015 On March 18, 2015, the United States assumed the Chairmanship of the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights (VPs) Initiative at the closing of this year’s Annual Plenary Meeting in London. In the VPs Initiative, governments, companies and non-governmental organizations work together to guide oil, gas, and mining companies in minimizing the risk of human rights abuses involving security providers when companies extract resources in some of the toughest parts of the world. At the VPs Plenary Meeting, participants formally launched verification frameworks that will provide a credible and practical system to assess implementation of the Principles. These frameworks will help ensure that companies maintain high standards in their security operations when they do business in difficult parts of the world. Ensuring successful use of the verification frameworks will be a key priority for the U.S. Government as we enter our chairmanship. The VPs Initiative consists of 28 oil, mining, and gas companies; nine governments; and 10 non-governmental organizations. U.S. participation in the VPs Initiative is an example of this Administration’s practical approach to partnering with corporations, other governments, and civil society groups to address human rights problems that none could solve alone. In line with the U.S. government’s commitment to help make the VPs Initiative as transparent as possible, the United States released its public VPs report in advance of the Plenary Meeting in London. This is the third year the report is available online, and it can be found at http://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/vprpt/2014/239362.htm. For more information, please contact Chanan Weissman at WeissmanC@State.gov or (202) 647-4043. The Office of Website Management, Bureau of Public Affairs, manages this site as a portal for information from the U.S. State Department. External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein. Stay connected with the State Department:       External links found in this content or on Department of State websites that go to other non-Department websites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.  Update your subscriptions, modify your password or email address, or stop subscriptions at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page. You will need to use your email address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please visit subscriberhelp.govdelivery.com. This service is provided to you at no charge by U.S. Department of State. This email was sent to wanabidii@googlegroups.com using GovDelivery, on behalf of: U.S. Department of State · 2201 C Street NW · Washington, DC 20520

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