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The RSPO Principles & Criteria (P&C) Review Task Force was entrusted by the RSPO Executive Board to review and amend the P&C in order to maintain the standard’s relevance and effectiveness, and in accordance with the RSPO’s five-year P&C review process.
The Executive Board is confident that the revised RSPO P&C has bolstered the certification’s relevance and credibility as a result of a rigorous review procedure. Consequently, we believe our sustainability standards have evolved significantly, and will galvanise the RSPO’s relationship with all sectors of the palm oil industry.
Growers and millers within the RSPO have made a commitment to achieve considerable heights of sustainability in oil palm cultivation in partnership with other sectors within the organization’s broad membership.
As a multi-stakeholder organization the RSPO represents the fundamental intent of distinct players within the sector, all of whom have come together with a mutually shared vision. Difference of opinion is not only expected from such a composition – it is imperative to establishing a solid middle ground, usually as a result of intense deliberations and harmonizing of various interests. This emphasis on compromise means each outcome is one that every representative takes ownership of, thus increasing commitment and successful on the ground implementation.
We encourage the membership to invest considerable attention to this process, and contribute towards the future of sustainable practices in palm oil, by accepting the revised P&C 2013. The RSPO Executive Board is confident that the various stakeholders within the 7 membership sectors will realise that the RSPO P&C is part of an evolutionary process, and one aimed at eventually achieving total sustainability. This can be attained through its commitment to continual improvement and strengthening of its Principles, Criteria and Guidance, for 2013 and beyond.
Despite our confidence, it is still worth highlighting that if the revised P&C 2013 is not accepted by the General Assembly, the current P&C (endorsed in 2007) will continue to be enforced. Such an outcome would defeat the entire purpose of the review process, which saw tremendous labour and dedication from representatives all around the world.
The RSPO takes this opportunity to thank the P&C Review Task Force and public stakeholders for their dedication and contributions towards this intense process, which began in November 2011. Comments were generated from two public consultations and discussions in four Task Force meetings.
The P&C review complies with the global association for sustainability standards, the ISEAL Alliance’s Codes of Good Practice. The revised P&C document was endorsed by the Executive Board on February 27, 2013
http://www.rspo.org/file/revisedPandC2013.pdf. All RSPO ordinary members will get a chance to vote on the revised P&C at an Extraordinary General Assembly on April 25, 2013 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Further information can be found here
http://www.ga.rspo.org/
For further information, please contact:
RSPO Secretariat:
Anne Gabriel
Communications Director
T:+603-22012053
[email protected]
