Country:

Liberia

Region:

Africa

Date:

May 8, 2018 - December 15, 2018

Implementor:

Social Entrepreneurs for Sustainable Development (SESDev)

Funding Amount:

$49,473

Details:

The original intent of this SRM was for the Civil Society Oil Palm Working Group (CSO-OPWG) of Liberia to monitor the decision of the RSPO complaints panel against Golden Veroleum Liberia (GVL) for violating community rights. However, shortly after the SRM began, GVL suspended its RSPO membership and the objective of the plan was shifted to focus on monitoring GVL’s sustainability action plan instead. Although the CSO-OPWG was barred from the drafting of the GVL sustainability action plan and struggled to monitor it due to non-transparent implementation by the company, critical community awareness was raised on the matter.

Under the leadership of Social Entrepreneurs for Sustainable Development, the CSO-OPWG informed communities and the government both of the complaints brought against GVL, as well as the RSPO decision against GVL. It also informed communities of GVL’s intended sustainability action plan. Furthermore, the CSO-OPWG held training sessions for complainant communities on effective monitoring techniques to use for both the RSPO decision and GVL’s sustainability action plan. The CSO-OPWG also published a full monitoring report on the sustainability action plan.