Between 1999 and 2004, Statoil funded a programme to develop and train judges and public defenders, particularly in areas related to human rights. Formally the programme was an initiative of the United Nations Development Programme. Amnesty International and the state agency responsible for training and appointing judges were also heavily involved.
Initally, 24 specially selected judges undertook a "train the trainers" course, covering key international instruments, national legislation and practical examples of how to identify abuses and take human rights into their judgements.
These judges then shared their knowledge with a further 60 judges in the Anzuatagui and Zulia states, which are both the most populous regions of the country and are where Statoil's business ventures are located. This phase was completed in 2002.
After an independent evaluation of the pilot, the programme was extended to cover the remaining 1,200 active judges in the country, and other officials working with the court system, such as social workers.
The impact of the initiative can be gauged from the judges' assessment that the training had enabled them to translate the broad human rights commitments contained in the new constitution (introduced in 1999) into operational reality, and also underscored the country's pledges to uphold international human rights principles.
The judges also recommended that the training be expanded to police and public prosecutors. For their part, Statoil believes that the initiative helped maintain its reputation for leadership in social responsibility issues, and enhanced its operational legitimacy in surrounding countries generally.
This is a good example of How a business can become a forceforgood company because it shows a novel way in which a business can engage with the state. The story also illustrates the benefits of building partnerships with NGOs, IGOs (Inter-Governmental Organisations) and governments so that businesses can support the building and maintenance of essential institutions such as the judiciary.
You can also reference on this website:
- "Corporations, institutions and better governance", by Toby Webb and Meg Carstens of the Ethical Corporation Institute, published March 2008. This includes the case of Statoil in Venezuela as well as other cases.
- "Partnering for Development Good Governance - The Ultimate Win-Win", a brief summary of the case study published by the UNDP
- "UNDP and the Private Sector: Building Partnerships for Development", a UNDP document published in May 2004 that includes this case study as one of its examples