Resolution GA15-6d, titled “Discouraging RSPO Members Subject to Complaints from Avoiding their Obligations by Divestment or withdrawing their Membership” (“Resolution”), was adopted by the 15th RSPO General Assembly on 15 November 2018.
The proponents of the Resolution had raised concerns over the propensity of some companies, which are subject to an active Complaint, to avoid their obligations under the RSPO by self-suspending their membership or by divesting their operational assets, rather than be bound by the directives of the Complaints Panel and RSPO requirements.
The Resolution proposes the following:
- To ask members not to divest from operations, nor to withdraw such operations from the RSPO, when these operations are subject to unresolved complaints at the Complaints Panel. Instead members are asked to redouble their efforts to bring these operations into compliance with the RSPO P&C in line with the requirements of the Complaints Panel;
- To mandate the Board of Governors to set up an inclusive sub-committee (and resource the Secretariat to support it), while being mindful of competition laws and other legal constraints, to urgently develop:
- Proposed incentives and procedures that would discourage divestment or self-suspension of operations subject to complaints;
- Proposal for graduated sanctions on any RSPO members, which act in violation of this requirement, both to be submitted for adoption by the Board of Governors;
- To propose amendments to the RSPO Members Code of Conduct accordingly for adoption at the next General Assembly of Members in 2019.
The Terms of Reference (ToR) for the Implementation of Resolution 6d was submitted to the Board of Governors and subsequently endorsed in 23 April 2019.
It is proposed that the Task Force comprise 7 members with the following composition.
| Membership Sector | Total Representation |
|---|---|
| Growers | 2 |
| NGOs | 2 |
| Complaints Panel | 1 |
| Financial Institutions | 1 |
| P&T/CGM/Retailers | 1 |
We wish to invite interested individuals representing the above mentioned membership sectors to join the Task Force. The ToR for the said Task Force is provided below.
The call for participation and/or nomination closes at 5.00 pm (MYT / UTC +8), 21st June 2019.
Kindly contact Rudi Bachtiar ([email protected]) if you would like to participate or submit a nomination, or if you require further information.
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