Indigenous peoples

Our operations can take place in areas inhabited by indigenous peoples. We respect and engage indigenous communities, and we work to protect their cultures and customs. We believe developing opportunities for indigenous communities to participate in training and employment benefits these communities and our business.

Our approach to interacting with indigenous peoples around the world is consistent with the principles of the International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention 169 Concerning Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in Independent Countries, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) Performance Standards on Environmental and Social Sustainability, and the World Bank Operational Policy and Bank Procedure on Indigenous Peoples.

Our operations in Alaska, Cameroon, Canada, Indonesia, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea and Sakhalin Island involve working directly with indigenous peoples. Our first objective is to determine how each group prefers to be engaged. The community establishes its preference for how often and how long their members meet with ExxonMobil representatives, and who will provide its viewpoints or represent its wishes.

We are sensitive to local communities’ concerns about balancing their cultural heritage with the desire for economic development, even after our operations have ceased. Wherever we work with indigenous peoples, we support both local employment initiatives and cultural heritage programs through local content and strategic community investments.