Response by BP
BP has been involved in Azerbaijan for more than 25 years with a strong commitment to conducting a safe, reliable, environmentally and socially responsible business that benefits all our stakeholders, most importantly the communities living in our neighbourhood. Social responsibility is a core part of everything BP does in Azerbaijan and elsewhere in the world. Therefore, before we start any major project we conduct detailed environmental and social impact assessments in affected areas and communities in order to be able to take all necessary action to avoid, eliminate where possible or minimize the impacts from our business...We have an established grievance resolution mechanism for communities living in our neighbourhood. Our policy is to register and acknowledge community grievances within seven days, and address them within 30 days. The registration and response to community grievances and requests are managed by our community liaison officers whose job is to engage with the communities on a day-to-day basis. This has enabled both parties to constructively address concerns and resolve disagreements helping maintain open dialogues and build strong, mutually beneficial working relationships...Our social investment projects in Azerbaijan have to date delivered a positive and enduring impact on the communities improving their livelihoods and helping them build their future. We will continue our social investment activity through educational programmes, building skills and capabilities in local communities, improving access to social infrastructure in communities, supporting local enterprises, providing access to quality training and overall capacity-building.