ConocoPhillips is an international energy company with operations that reach into many communities where the rights of indigenous peoples are not sufficiently protected by law or industry standards. So the company’s recent disclosure that its engagement with indigenous peoples will now be done in a manner consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) is a noteworthy stride forward for the company and its industry.

Calvert’s long-standing UNDRIP support

The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is a non-legally binding human rights instrument which affirms universal minimum standards for the survival, dignity and well-being of all indigenous peoples. Calvert has been a strong and consistent advocate for UNDRIP both through engagement with the U.S. State Department—with the United States being the last major country to endorse the declaration in December 2010—and through shareholder engagement.

Continued support for the rights of indigenous peoples

Calvert will continue to engage with ConocoPhillips to verify and monitor how the company’s policies and programs achieve consistency with the declaration. The rights of indigenous peoples’ have been a core element of Calvert’s sustainable and responsible investment criteria since we became the first mutual fund company to establish Indigenous Peoples’ Rights investment criteria in 1999, and the focus of significant shareholder advocacy efforts for over a decade.

As of 8/31/11, accounts managed by Calvert Investment Management, Inc. held securities issued by ConocoPhillips. Calvert may or may not still invest in, and is not recommending any action on, any companies listed.

Calvert Investment Management, Inc., 4550 Montgomery Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20814