RSPO launches new guidance to further strengthen child rights protection

It is crucial to ensure that children’s rights are well-integrated into practices and systems that not only address long-standing concerns in the palm oil sector, but also those that may arise as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In order to enhance child rights protection and improve compliance with RSPO certification standards, RSPO has commissioned the development of four guidance documents to provide tailored support for the following key palm oil stakeholders:

1. Palm Oil Producers

2. Smallholders and Group Managers

3. Downstream Supply Chain Actors

4. Auditors and Certification Bodies (coming soon)

These documents aim to help RSPO members and stakeholders identify and address the seven impact areas outlined by a 2016 UNICEF study conducted in Malaysia and Indonesia, and enhance the knowledge and capacity of members to foster engagement and collaboration with workers and surrounding communities, to mitigate the potential negative impacts on children in palm oil. 

The guidance documents were developed by the Center for Child Rights and Corporate Social Responsibility (CCR CSR) and Proforest, with participation from stakeholders during consultations that have been part of the development process of the guidance documents. Furthermore, a 30-day public consultation period was held from 17 June to 17 July 2020 to gather stakeholder feedback, and a webinar was also held on 25 June 2020.  

RSPO hopes that these guidance documents will encourage stakeholders to take greater strides in supporting child rights protection.

For more information on RSPO’s Human Rights and Social Standards unit, click here.