Colombia: Follow Up Response on Previous ACE Finalists

UNCLAS BOGOTA 003571 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AMGT BEXP ECON EINV ELAB ETRD SENV SUBJECT: Colombia: Follow Up Response on Previous ACE Finalists REF: STATE 125948 ¶1. Summary. Per reftel, Post contacted the following finalists of the Secretary of State's Award for Corporate Excellence (ACE): Occidental, SURevolution, General Motors. All three companies are still working in Colombia and continuing their corporate social responsibility programs since being selected as an ACE finalist. End Summary. ¶2. Below are responses to reftel questions: ¶3. Is the U.S. company still working in the region? - Occidental: Yes - SURevolution: Yes - General Motors: Yes ¶4. What community-based programs and corporate social responsibility activities has the U.S. firm continued/added in the region since being selected as an ACE finalist/winner? Please refer to eight ACE criteria as applicable: Occidental "Oxy" -------------- ¶5. Good Corporate Citizenship: Oxy continues to promote its corporate social responsibility programs since being selected as an ACE finalist. With the support of the Colombian government and Ecopetrol, Oxy's "El Alcaravan" Foundation continues to promote social investment and self-sufficiency in the Arauca Department. An estimated 30,000 people, more than 10% of the Arauca population, have benefited from the Foundation's education programs. The programs include "A Crecer," an initiative aimed at reducing illiteracy in the communities surrounding Cano Limon. The region's illiteracy rate has dropped from 35% in 2005 to 25% in 2007, and it is projected to fall further to 15% by the end of 2009. ¶6. Contribution to Overall Growth and Development of the Local Economy: In 2007, El Alcaravan created 49 field schools to provide a forum for farmers in rural areas to exchange sustainable agriculture techniques. These field schools continue to operate, thanks to Oxy and Ecopetrol, which have jointly invested more than $30 million in social programs in Arauca alone. ¶7. Compatibility/Contribution to Local Science and Technology: The El Alcaravan Foundation is currently working with the GOC's educational programs, "Ondas," on a science and technology project, in which 2,800 Arauca children participate. ¶8. Responsible Environmental Protection and Practices: Oxy has proven to be an exemplary environmental steward in Cano Limon and its surroundings. The company established the first landfill in Colombia to comply with international safety and quality standards. Working with neighboring communities, Oxy reforested more than 650 hectares of land adjacent to its operations. With Oxy's assistance, scientists identified 780 species inhabiting Cano Limon. Oxy also discovered households near La Cifra-Infantas that had connected illegally to abandoned oil wells to obtain cooking fuel. Oxy worked with Ecopetrol and local government to launch a safety campaign to educate the population about the danger of such connections and established a community-operated propane distribution service. SURevolution (Sur) -------------- ¶9. Good Corporate Citizenship: Since 2002, Sur's ten-person team in Bogota has identified endangered indigenous artisan communities in Colombia's remote conflict zones that have unique, intricate handicraft techniques demonstrating their cultural heritage. Sur currently works with 1500 Colombian indigenous artisans highlighting the history of their products, protecting the valuable natural resources that are needed for production, enhancing quality and design, and ensuring adequate manufacturing capacity. ¶10. Contribution to Overall Growth and Development of the Local Economy: All of Sur's work is done with a keen eye on economic as well as social sustainability. Due to Surevolution's support, more than 3,000 high-quality handicrafts are now available in high-end retailers across the globe, including Donna Karan, Ralph Lauren Home Store, Neiman Marcus, Calvin Klein, Barneys, and even the Museum of Modern Art store. Products produced by Sur's partner artisans in Colombia are also sold outside the United States in Japan, Singapore, Italy, France, Hong Kong, and Mexico, with other markets opening rapidly. ¶11. Responsible Environmental Protection and Practices: All of Sur's activities seek to protect the fragile natural environments within which their partner communities and organizations live and work. All of their products are non-toxic, more than 90% are biodegradable, and all are produced with organic materials complying with the standards of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Organic Program. General Motors-Colombia -------------- ¶12. Good Corporate Citizenship: Since 2000 under the GM Plus Voluntary Program, more than 600 GM workers have volunteered more than 24,000 hours to assist social projects and work directly with the communities in areas such as house building, education, recreation and environmental endeavors. GM-Colombia has donated more than US$ 146,000 to different charitable institutions. ¶13. Contribution to Overall Growth and Development of the Local Economy: GM offers monetary donations to neglected communities in order to improve their education and employment conditions. ¶14. GM -- in association with Sofasa, CAF, Mydas, Colciencias, and Fomipyme -- is training and educating auto parts store owners on international best practices. The training will be particularly handy when the bilateral U.S.-Colombia trade accord is implemented. ¶15. Exemplary Employment Practices: GM employees also contribute to programs that enhance the quality and coverage of education in Colombia. The employees donate a percentage of their salary to help finance these programs. NICHOLS