09/03/2013 (The Inquirer) - Sime Darby Plantation Liberia (SDPL) in collaboration with local and international partners today, Saturday, March 9, 2013 launch a Sustainable Partnership Initiative (SPI) in Grand Cape Mount County.

This platform will require institutionalizing a new model of community-based consultation and engagement which may also involve mapping of customary lands in palm oil land development, how to fund such a process, a platform to facilitate dialogue around oil palm development and strategies.

It is in this regard, that Sime Darby and the PAC in collaboration with its partners have proposed the launching of the Sustainable Partnership Initiative(SPI).

The SPI is designed as a multi stakeholder platform involving the private sector, local communities, civil society organizations, development partners, governments, academic and research institution, International organizations working together to ensure that the oil palm sector is fair, equitable, sustainable, right and tenured based.

The SPI could begin by supporting investment in participatory community mapping, researching, studying and designing Liberian specific oil palm small holder models, environmental and social impact assessment.

The SPI also hopes to agree on a model for conducting and obtaining Free Prior Informed Consent (FPIC), transforming affected communities’ rights into economic opportunities and equities, building governance, representative, democratic and accountability structures in affected communities, building capacity for land deals and contracts within affected communities, researching, studying and designing appropriate legal structures for affected communities.

Key partners from the Liberian Government and other developmental institutions that are expected to attend the March 9th SPI meeting include, the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Lands Mines and Energy, United States Embassy, World Bank, National Bureau of Concession and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).