Letter: Accommodating all voices in RSPO

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/11/16/letter-accommodating-all-voices-rspo.html

Letter: Accommodating all voices in RSPO
| Tue, 11/16/2010 11:10 AM | readers forum
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The eighth Conference of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) was just held in Jakarta to continuously improve performance and public communication with regard to significantly increased stakeholder expectations in the sustainable production of palm oil globally.

The RSPO ordinary membership comprises oil palm growers, manufacturers, processors and traders, retailers, banks and investors, environmental and social NGOs.

The RSPO has definitive self-governing rules and systems, in particular the statute and bylaw, code of conduct, principles and criteria, certification systems, grievance procedure, trade and traceability systems, etc.

Indeed, Indonesia can be both the largest and best producer of sustainable palm oil in the world when the Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) system adequately addresses non-legal compliant aspects.

To this end, the minimum and credible production elements should prevent debt bondage, child and slavery-like working conditions, disregard for human rights, gender injustice, unfair smallholding schemes, non-operational social and environmental.

A much-needed breakthrough and transformative cultures of the RSPO can create better and fair playing field levels toward balancing national needs and international demands rather than unnecessary confrontations and subjective internal bickering.

A focus and realistic expectations of what and where RSPO can achieve and live in harmony with high stakeholder expectations and extant contested social and environmental issues have put RSPO in the forefront of mixed sustainability battles. The General Assembly of members reflects and translates the implementation of RSPO rules and norms bound to all ordinary members — not only NGOs but also market side members of the organizational of RSPO.

Polarizing significant social and environmental issues by differentiating approaches among palm oil businesses and NGOs could have not been constructive to the commitment of the Government of Indonesia.

Some cases the RSPO operates within its agreed no-conversion of primary forests and conservation areas (criterion 7.3). So far, resolution is open and up for realization of RSPO sustainability premises, therefore, the cast of the votes at GA shall be construed as fair and democratic processes instead of bloc voting that subjectively disqualify business interests over NGOs concerns but all votes confirm the adopted resolutions.

It is commonly agreed and accepted that the challenge for the palm oil industry and RSPO as an organization is to improve both not only internal but also external communications within ordinary members and stakeholders.


Norman Jiwan
Bogor, West Java