Dialogue with communities and indigenous peoples

Our ongoing search for proactive, transparent, continuous, and participatory dialogue

We involve the indigenous communities in the areas where we operate from the project's very early stages, keeping in mind the respect for human rights, especially for those most vulnerable groups of people:

• Our grievance mechanisms are readily accessible in our operations to ensure dialogue and fluid communication with the different communities.
• With the aim to strengthen this commitment, we promote compliance with these channels among our suppliers wherever we operate.
• Moreover, in some of our operations, like industrial facilities, there are 24-hour telephone helplines available at our industrial complexes, which have protocols for internally receiving, recording, and dealing with complaints made by a community.
• We respect and take into consideration the work of rights defenders, and in no way do we block or misrepresent communications that take place.

Understanding and respecting the unique nature of indigenous peoples

We undertake to recognize and respect the internationally recognized rights of indigenous, tribal, aboriginal, and native peoples (Indigenous Peoples), in accordance with current laws and following the requirements of the International Labor Organization’s Convention (ILO) No. 169 |PDF| 493 KB, regardless of whether or not it is included in the legislation of the country in question.

Through baseline social studies that we carry out at our operations and with the participation of governments and local, regional, and national organizations that represent indigenous peoples, we identify those indigenous communities that are in different phases of contact with the majority culture and that may be affected by our operations.

Establishing dialogue and a close-knit relationship with indigenous communities

To maintain a relationship of trust and mutual respect with the communities close to our operations, based on transparency and shared value, we work on our dialogue:

• Adapting it to the cultural characteristics of each ethnicity or community, and involving representative bodies of indigenous communities.
• Guaranteeing the representation of men and women, the diverse age groups, and leaders according to their traditions.
• Recognizing and respecting the right to prior, free, and informed consent (PFIC) of indigenous peoples through their representative institutions.

The people who make up the community relations team are the visible face in front of the communities and create a friendly and bona fide environment. They are the link between the company and the communities to mediate in possible disagreements and conflict that may arise by seeking an understanding that is beneficial for both parties. At Repsol, we have a team of around 70 community liaison officers in the different countries where we are present. 

Apart from the community liaison officers, there are regional Committees that meet periodically to discuss specific social topics in each of the operating areas, and additionally, we have a corporate area for Human Rights and Community Relations, within the Division of Sustainability, which sets a regulating framework, tracks and controls regulations, and proposes action plans and training.

At the highest level, the Executive Committee approves all internal regulations regarding human rights and community relations and monitors relevant topics in this field.

We also work to improve human rights issues externally in industry work groups at various levels:

• The teams that are responsible for relationships with stakeholders in various countries actively participate in local groups along with other companies in the Oil & Gas or extractive industry.
• At a corporate level, we participate in international organizations like the IPIECA social responsibility group, where Repsol holds the vice chair.
  

These work groups allow us to improve each day by sharing experiences, lessons learned, and good practices between different companies and expert entities on the matter.