Shell respects human rights throughout the world. Our Code of Conduct prescribes the high ethical standards that all our staff are expected to maintain…We are committed to working with the government and people of Nigeria to ensure that the country benefits from its natural resources...We however recognise that working in the Niger Delta presents significant challenges, including those of security and community relations. We have long acknowledged that the legitimate payments we make to contractors…may cause friction in and between communities. We nevertheless work hard to ensure a fair and equitable distribution of the benefits of our presence. In view of the high rate of criminal violence in the Niger Delta, the Federal Government, as majority owner of oil facilities, deploys Government Security Forces to protect people and assets. Suggestions in the report that SPDC directs or controls military activities are therefore completely untrue.