0515

media advisory
friends of the earth international
may 15, 2006

shell neighbors want actions not words

THE HAGUE (THE NETHERLANDS) / LONDON (UK), May 15, 2006 -- Community representatives from seven countries will attend oil giant Shell’s Annual General Meeting in The Hague on May 16 calling for Shell to be held accountable for the environmental destruction and human suffering it causes, particularly in Nigeria.

The activists from communities neighbouring Shell facilities around the world bought single shares in this Anglo-Dutch corporation in order to gain direct access to Shell shareholders with the hope of raising awareness of their concerns and demands.

Shareholders entering the May 16 meeting will see miniature oil spills and gas flares brought by the campaigners to denounce the fact that gas flares and oil spills from Shell installations negatively affect people in Nigeria. They will be holding a banner saying: "Shell flares and spills, Nigerian people pay the bills".

According to Adaka Inemo of Friends of the Earth Nigeria/ERA, "Shell must clean up its oil spills. It says it cleans them all up but this is an outright lie. The Oruma oil spillage of 25 June 2005 is a case in point. Shell is contemptuous of our laws, of our peoples and of our environment."

“Shell was told twice by Nigerian courts to stop gas flaring but it plans to continue this economic and environmental monstrosity until at least 2009. It should instead respect Nigerian law and stop violating human rights," he added.

On may 15, 2006, official complaints were filed by Brazilian and Filipino people affected by Shell - with the support of Friends of the Earth International and Friends of the Earth Netherlands/Milieudefensie - at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) contact point in the Netherlands.

For photographs of the action outside the AGM in The Hague please contact Eugene Van Haaren from Milieudefensie Tel: +31-20-5507333 or email

for more information contact :

Adaka Inemo of Friends of the Earth Nigeria/ERA, tel: +31-6-51005630 (may 16 only)

Paul de Clerck, Friends of the Earth International, Tel: +32-473510147

Anne van Schaik, Friends of the Earth Netherlands/Milieudefensie, Tel: +31-6-29593877

Friends of the Earth Netherlands/Milieudefensie press office +31-20-5507333 or +31-6-29593873

Friends of the Earth International press office +31-6-51005630 (may 16 only) or +31-20-6221369

notes to editors :

The community representatives in The Hague are available for interviews at
+31-6-29593873 or +31-6-51005630 (may 16 only).

Their names/countries are :
NIGERIA: Ifieniya Lott and Adaka Inemo
PHILIPPINES: Vladimir Cabigao and Rhodele Gabac
SOUTH AFRICA: Desmond D'sa and Siziwe Khanyile
BRASIL: Cesar Augusto Pereira
CURACAO: Norbert George
USA: Denny Larson
RUSSIA: Dimitri Lisitsyn

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0515

shell neighbors want actions not words

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