A five-year agreement committing the whole Statoil group to collaboration with the UN Development Programme (UNDP) was signed by chief executive Helge Lund on 11 October.
Statoil's Venezuelan subsidiary has been supporting a UNDP-backed programme since 1999 which gives human rights training to judges and public prosecutors in the South American country.
“Our positive experience there underpins this group-level deal,” says Natalja Altermark, manager for social responsibility in Statoil’s country analysis and social responsibility unit.
The agreement builds on the undertakings given by the group as a signatory of the Global Compact, which links the UN, the business community and voluntary organisations.
Statoil’s 2003 sustainability report also commits it to expanding cooperation with the UN during 2004 and to strengthening social investment in relation to its international activities.
“Our hope is that this group-level collaboration will serve as a catalyst for local agreements with the UNDP,” explains Ms Altermark.
“We want both sides to cooperate over specific projects in the various countries in which we are established.”
Statoil is making a one-off donation of USD 1 million to the UNDP’s democratic governance thematic trust fund.