The complaint is submitted by Machi Millaray-Huichalaf and the council of lonkos and includes a wide range of Mapuche-Williche communities in southern Chile. It concerns the company’s due diligence in connection with the development of three hydro-power plants on the Pilmaiquén river.
The complainants state, among other things, that Statkraft AS has not carried out due diligence in line with the OECD Guidelines for Responsible Business Conduct, with a particular emphasis on insufficient involvement of indigenous people regarding land rights, environmental impacts and religious traditions. According to the OECD Guidelines, companies are expected to carry out due diligence to identify, prevent and mitigate adverse impacts on the environment and human rights, and to explain how this is handled.
The NCP’s assessment of whether the complaint against Statkraft AS merits further consideration is based on the six criteria in the implementation procedures in the OECD Guidelines and the NCP’s rules of procedure. The NCP considers that an offer of dialogue between the complainants and Statkraft AS regarding parts of the complaint can contribute to the purposes and effectiveness of the OECD Guidelines. At this stage, the NCP has not made any assessment of whether Statkraft AS has acted in accordance with the OECD Guidelines.
The complaint is handled by the Norwegian NCP, with the Chilean NCP as supporting NCP.
Read the Norwegian NCP’s Initial Assessment and more about the specific instance here.
If you have any questions about the case, contact the chair of the NCP, Frode Elgesem (frode.elgesemATgmail.com / +47 416 96 089)
Versión en español aquí.