BANGKOK MARRIOTT MARQUIS QUEEN'S PARK, THAILAND
03 - 06 NOVEMBER 2019

GA16 Notices & Announcements


RSPO 16th Annual General Assembly (GA16) Summary Report and Voting Results
The 16th Annual General Assembly (GA16) of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) was held on Wednesday, 6 November 2019 at 1500 hours (GMT+7) at Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen's Park, Thailand.

A summary of voters and the voting results of GA16 are listed below.

Attendance and E-Voters

TOTAL 129 31 68 228
SECTOR PHYSICAL PROXY E-VOTE TOTAL
Oil Palm Growers 51 9 10 70
Processors and/or Traders 25 8 33 66
Consumer Goods Manufacturers 17 6 14 37
Retailers 4 1 7 12
Banks and Investors 7 1 0 8
Environmental or Conservation NGOs 16 6 4 26
Social or Development NGOs 9 0 0 9


VOTING RESULTS OF ITEMS AND RESOLUTIONS AT GA16

AGENDA ITEM/RESOLUTIONS VOTING RESULTS
Agenda Item 5:

To receive and adopt the Treasurer's Report and the RSPO's Financial Statement for the year ended 30 June 2019.		 Approved

For - 219
Against - 1
Spoilt - 1
Abstain - 7
Resolution GA16-6a:

To confirm the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers as the auditors of the RSPO for the financial year ending 30 June 2020.		 Approved

For - 210
Against - 9
Spoilt - 1
Abstain - 8
Resolution GA16-6b:

Ensuring transparency and multi-stakeholder engagement in the quality assurance of assessments and audits.		 Withdrawn
Resolution GA16-6c:

Expanding the authority of RRO Indonesia to support the delivery of services to Indonesia's independent smallholders to accelerate transformation of norms and inclusiveness.		 Approved

For - 211
Against - 10
Abstain - 7
Resolution GA16-6d:

Balanced representation in the RSPO General Assembly Voting Process.		 Approved

For - 205
Against - 17
Abstain - 6
Resolution GA16-6e:

Submission of Peat Inventory by all RSPO "Grower" and "Processor and Trader" Members.		 Approved

For - 173
Against - 43
Abstain - 12
Resolution GA16-6f:

Adoption of the RSPO Independent Smallholder Standard (RISS) 2019 for the production of sustainable palm oil by Independent Smallholders.		 Approved

For - 206
Against - 10
Abstain - 12


ELECTION OF BOARD OF GOVERNORS

MEMBERSHIP SECTORS ELECTED
PRINCIPAL ALTERNATE
Oil Palm Growers:
Malaysia: MPOA, represented by the principal Carl Bek-Nielsen and the alternate being Lee Kuan Yee, the two-year term of which is expiring is available for re-election. No other nominations were received. Carl Bek-Nielsen, MPOA Lee Kuan Yee, MPOA
Indonesia: Golden Agri-Resources Ltd, represented by the principal Agus Purnomo and the alternate being Fadhil Hassan, the two-year term of which is expiring is available for re-election. No other nominations were received. Agus Purnomo, Golden Agri-Resources Ltd Fadhil Hassan, PT Inti Indosawit Subur
Rest of the World
The alternates of the incumbent Board of Governors member Agrocaribe, being John Clendon (Univanich Palm Oil Public Company Limited), Audrey Lee (Olam International Limited) and the interim alternate being Sander von den Ende (SIPEF), are up for approval by the General Assembly.		 N/A John Clendon, Univanich Palm Oil Public Company Limited

Audrey Lee, Olam International Limited

Sander von den Ende, SIPEF
Smallholders: FELDA, represented by the interim principal Mahadzir Mustafa and the alternate being Izham Mustaffa: Mahadzir Mustafa was designated as interim principal as a consequence of the retirement of Othman Omar. Therefore, the designation of interim principal Mahadzir Mustafa and the alternate being Izham Mustafa are up for approval by the General Assembly. Mahadzir Mustafa, FELDA Izham Mustaffa, FELDA
Processors & Traders:
Wilmar International Limited, represented by the principal Daphne Astrid Hameeteman and the alternate Olivier Tichit (Musim Mas Holdings Pte. Ltd.), the two-year term of which is expiring is available for re-election. No other nominations were received. Daphne Astrid Hameeteman, Wilmar International Limited Olivier Tichit, Musim Mas Holdings Pte. Ltd.
The alternate of the incumbent Board of Governors member AAK AB being Caroline Westerik is up for approval by the General Assembly. N/A Caroline Westerik, AAK AB
Consumer Goods Manufacturers
Unilever, represented by the interim principal Petronella Wilhelmina Meekers, and the interim alternate being Martin Huxtable, the two-year term of which is expiring is available for re-election. No other nominations were received. Petronella Wilhelmina Meekers, Unilever Martin Huxtable, Unilever
The interim alternate of the incumbent Board of Governors member Procter & Gamble being Girish Despande is up for approval by the General Assembly. N/A Girish Despande, Procter & Gamble
Retailers
The interim member Aeon Co., Ltd, represented by the interim principal Kahori Miyake and the interim alternate being Yumi Kawashima are up for approval by the General Assembly. Kahori Miyake, Aeon Co., Ltd Yumi Kawashima, Aeon Co., Ltd
Belinda Katharine Howell the principal representing Retailer's Palm Oil Group is retiring at this General Assembly. Her replacement being Julian Walker-Palin as the principal and the alternate Hugo Byrnes (Royal Ahold Delhaize NV), are up for approval by the General Assembly Julian Walker-Palin, Retailer's Palm Oil Group Hugo Byrnes, Royal Ahold Delhaize NV
Banks & Investors
HSBC Holding Plc, represented by the principal Ian Thomas Hay and the alternate being John Laidlow, the two-year term of which is expiring is not available for re-election. One nomination was received from Standard Chartered Bank, represented by the principal nominee Samantha Bramley and the alternate nominee being Roger Charles. Samantha Bramley, Standard Chartered Bank Roger Charles, Standard Chartered Bank
The interim alternate of the incumbent Board of Governors member Rabobank International being Martin van Vaals is up for approval by the General Assembly. N/A Martin van Vaals, Rabobank International
Environmental NGOs
World Resources Institute, represented by the principal Anne Rosenbarger and the alternate Michael Guindon (Zoological Society of London), the two-year term of which is expiring is available for re-election. No other nominations were received. Anne Rosenbarger, World Resources Institute Michael Guindon, Zoological Society of London
The alternate of the incumbent Board of Governors member WWF International being Harjinder Kler (HUTAN - Kinabatangan Orang-utan Conservation Programme), is up for approval by the General Assembly N/A Harjinder Kler, HUTAN - Kinabatangan Orang-utan Conservation Programme
Social NGOs
Oxfam International, represented by Madeline Brasser, is retiring and not available for re-election. Nominations received were from:
  • Forest Peoples Programme, represented by the principal nominee Marcus Colchester and the alternate nominee being Madeleine Brasser (Oxfam International)
  • Solidaridad, represented by the principal nominee Marieke Leegwater and the alternate nominee being Rukaiyah Rafik (Yayasan Setara Jambi).
Election among the Social NGOs sub-sector was held and only members in the sub-sector were eligible to vote.		 Marcus Colchester, Forest Peoples Programme Madeleine Brasser, Oxfam International
NOTICE FOR THE 16TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY


Notice is hereby given that the 16th General Assembly (GA16) of members of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) will be held at Bangkok Marriot Marquis Queen's Park, Thailand on Wednesday, 6 November 2019 at 1500 hours (GMT+7) for the following purposes:

AGENDA

  1. Members' roll call.
  2. Opening Address by the RSPO Chairperson.
  3. Report presented by the RSPO Chairperson.
  4. Confirmation of minutes for the last General Assembly (GA16) held on 15 November 2018.

    Minutes: https://www.rspo.org/ga16/GA16DraftMinutes.pdf

    Attendance List: https://www.rspo.org/ga16/GA16AttendanceList.pdf
  5. To receive and adopt the Treasurer's Report and the RSPO's financial statement for the year ended 30 June 2019.

    Treasurer's Report: https://www.rspo.org/ga16/Treasurers_report_2019.pdf

    Financial Accounts: https://www.rspo.org/ga16/RSPO_Financial_Statements_30_Jun_2019.pdf
  6. Resolution GA16-6a:
    To confirm the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers as the auditors of the RSPO for the financial year ending 30 June 2020.

    Resolution GA16-6b:
    Ensuring transparency and multi-stakeholder engagement in the quality assurance of assessments and audits

    Download: https://www.rspo.org/ga16/Resolutions/ResolutionGA16-6b.pdf

    Resolution GA16-6c:
    Expanding the authority of RRO Indonesia to support the delivery of services to Indonesia's independent smallholders to accelerate transformation of norms and inclusiveness

    Download: https://www.rspo.org/ga16/Resolutions/ResolutionGA16-6c.pdf

    Resolution GA16-6d:
    Balanced representation in the RSPO General Assembly Voting Process

    Download: https://www.rspo.org/ga16/Resolutions/ResolutionGA16-6d.pdf

    Resolution GA16-6e:
    Submission of Peat Inventory by all RSPO "Grower" and "Processor and Trader" Members

    Download: https://www.rspo.org/ga16/Resolutions/ResolutionGA16-6e.pdf

    Resolution GA16-6f:
    Adoption of the RSPO Independent Smallholder Standard (RISS) 2019 for the production of sustainable palm oil by Independent Smallholders

    Download:
    https://www.rspo.org/ga16/Resolutions/ResolutionGA16-6f.pdf
    https://www.rspo.org/ga16/Resolutions/RSPO_RISS_2019.pdf
  7. Election of Board of Governors (including Alternates) for the following sectors and sub-sectors:
    • Oil Palm Growers:

      Malaysia
      • MPOA, represented by the principal Carl Bek-Nielsen and the alternate being Lee Kuan Yee, the two-year term of which is expiring is available for re-election. No other nominations have been received.
      Indonesia
      • Golden Agri-Resources Ltd, represented by the principal Agus Purnomo and the alternate being Fadhil Hassan, the two-year term of which is expiring is available for re-election. No other nominations have been received.
      Rest of the World
      • The alternates of the incumbent Board of Governors member Agrocaribe, being John Clendon (Univanich Palm Oil Public Company Limited), Audrey Lee (Olam International Limited) and the interim alternate being Sander von den Ende (SIPEF), are up for approval by the General Assembly.
      Smallholders
      • FELDA, represented by the interim principal Mahadzir Mustafa and the alternate being Izham Mustaffa: Mahadzir Mustafa was designated as interim principal as a consequence of the retirement of Othman Omar. Therefore, the designation of interim principal Mahadzir Mustafa and the alternate being Izham Mustaffa are up for approval by the General Assembly.
    • Processors and/or Traders:
      • Wilmar International Limited, represented by the principal Daphne Astrid Hameeteman and the alternate Olivier Tichit (Musim Mas Holdings Pte. Ltd.), the two-year term of which is expiring is available for re-election. No other nominations have been received. 
      • The alternate of the incumbent Board of Governors member AAK AB being Caroline Westerik is up for approval by the General Assembly.
    • Consumer Goods Manufacturers:
      • Unilever, represented by the interim principal Petronella Wilhelmina Meekers, and the interim alternate being Martin Huxtable, the two-year term of which is expiring is available for re-election. No other nominations have been received.
      • The interim alternate of the incumbent Board of Governors member Procter & Gamble being Girish Despande is up for approval by the General Assembly.
    • Retailers:
      • The interim member Aeon Co., Ltd, represented by the interim principal Kahori Miyake and the interim alternate being Yumi Kawashima are up for approval by the General Assembly.
      • Belinda Katharine Howell the principal representing Retailers’ Palm Oil Group is retiring at this General Assembly. Her replacement being Julian Walker-Palin as the principal and the alternate Hugo Byrnes (Royal Ahold Delhaize NV), are up for approval by the General Assembly.
    • Banks & Investors:
      • HSBC Holding Plc, represented by the principal Ian Thomas Hay and the alternate, being John Laidlow, the two-year term of which is expiring is not available for re-election. One nomination was received from Standard Chartered Bank, represented by the principal nominee Samantha Bramley and the alternate nominee being Roger Charles.

        The nomination of Standard Chartered Bank can be downloaded at:
        https://www.rspo.org/ga16/GA16Nominations_SCB.pdf
      • The interim alternate of the incumbent Board of Governors member Rabobank International being Martin van Vaals is up for approval by the General Assembly.
    • Environmental NGOs:
      • World Resources Institute, represented by the principal Anne Rosenbarger and the alternate Michael Guindon (Zoological Society of London), the two-year term of which is expiring is available for re-election. No other nominations have been received.
      • The alternate of the incumbent Board of Governors member WWF International being Harjinder Kler (HUTAN - Kinabatangan Orang-utan Conservation Programme), is up for approval by the General Assembly.
    • Social NGOs:
      • Oxfam International, represented by Madeline Brasser, the two-year term of which is expiring is not available for re-election. Nominations were received from:
    Only members in the relevant sectors and sub-sectors are eligible to vote in the above Board of Governors seats.
  8. Any other business.

Anne Rosenbarger
Co-Chairperson - Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil

10 October 2019




IMPORTANT NOTICE:

  1. IMPORTANT DATES

    Activity Date
    GA Online Registration Starts 10 October 2019
    GA Online Registration Ends 4 November 2019, 1200 hours (GMT+7)
    Casting of E-Vote & Submission of Proxy Forms End 4 November 2019, 1400 hours (GMT+7)
    Collection of Ballot Papers Starts 6 November 2019, 1400 hours (GMT+7)
    General Assembly Convenes 6 November 2019, 1500 hours (GMT+7)
  2. PHYSICAL VOTING

    Please ensure you are able to attend the GA in person. Kindly bring your confirmation of registration to expedite the collection of ballot papers.
  3. E-VOTING

    GA registration will open on 10 October 2019 at http://www.rt.rspo.org/garegistration. A member may choose to e-vote by selecting the E-Voting option on the online GA registration form. Upon submission you will receive an email confirmation of your registration and a PIN to access the E-Voting platform.

    Please DO NOT forget to cast your vote. Members who have chosen to e-vote, may not change their voting option to vote physically or by proxy.

    Should you wish to attend the GA proceedings after casting your e-vote, kindly bring your confirmation of registration to collect your E-Voter pass.

    You may register onsite by approaching the Registration Counter which will open on 3 November 2019, 1700-2000 hours (GMT+7) and 4 November 2019, 0900-1200 hours (GMT+7).
  4. PROXY

    Ordinary members who are unable to attend the GA may appoint a proxy by completing the proxy form. You may download the form at https://rt.rspo.org/GA16_Proxy_Form.docx.

    If you choose to appoint a person other than a Board member, you are responsible to inform the person you are appointing as the proxy holder and he/she must be physically present at the GA.

    All proxy forms must reach the Secretariat office in Kuala Lumpur either by fax (+603 2302 1542) or email ([email protected]) by 4 November 2019, 1400 hours (GMT+7).
  5. IDENTIFICATION VERIFICATION PROCESS

    RSPO will carry out an identification verification process during the collection of ballot papers at the GA.

    Kindly take note that you are required to produce a valid national identification document or passport for verification purposes. RSPO may disallow the collection of ballot papers should you fail to produce a relevant identification document.
ANNOUNCEMENT ON RSPO 16TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY (GA16)

The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) will hold its 16th General Assembly (GA16) of members on:

Date: 6 November 2019 (Wednesday)
Time: 3:00 PM (GMT+7)
Venue: Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen's Park, Thailand

In accordance with the RSPO Statutes 2018 (Article 9), RSPO Members are now invited to submit the following:

  1. Nominations (including self-nominations) of candidates for the RSPO Board of Governors (BoG) including the nomination of Alternates.
    http://www.rspo.org/ga/ga16/GA16NominationForm.docx
  2. Resolutions for the consideration and endorsement by the General Assembly.
    http://www.rspo.org/ga/ga16/GA16ResolutionTemplate.docx
  1. NOMINATIONS (INCLUDING SELF-NOMINATIONS) OF CANDIDATES FOR THE RSPO BOARD OF GOVERNORS AND ALTERNATES
    The following seats in the Board of Governors are due for election:
    1. Ordinary Membership - Sector: Growers
      Malaysia - MPOA is retiring and available for re-election.
      Indonesia - Golden Agri-Resources Ltd is retiring and available for re-election.
    2. Ordinary Membership - Sector: Processors and/or Traders
      Wilmar International Limited is retiring and available for re-election.
    3. Ordinary Membership - Sector: Consumer Goods Manufacturers
      Unilever is retiring and is available for re-election.
    4. Ordinary Membership - Sector: Retailers
      Aeon Co., Ltd is retiring and available for re-election.
    5. Ordinary Membership - Sector: Banks and Investors
      HSBC Holding Plc is retiring and is not available for re-election.
    6. Ordinary Membership - Sector: Environmental NGOs
      World Resource Institute is retiring and available for re-election.
    7. Ordinary Membership - Sector: Social NGOs
      Oxfam International is retiring and available for re-election.
    RSPO Ordinary Members are hereby invited to nominate themselves or any other candidate for the upcoming election of the RSPO BoG for the seats stated above. Only RSPO Ordinary Members are eligible as candidates for a BoG position to represent their respective membership sector.

    In accordance with Article 11(d) of the RSPO Statutes 2018, the principal nominee of a BoG seat SHALL name his/her Alternate who must come from the same membership sector of the principal nominee. For the avoidance of doubt, an Alternate named in a BoG seat nomination shall be elected concurrently with the BoG seat principal nominee.

    The BoG is responsible for the general management of the RPSO in collaboration with the RSPO Chief Executive Officer. The BoG will work together with the Secretariat staff to discuss the activities of the association and to guard quality and financial viability. Elected BoG members must be prepared to dedicate the required time and resources to the RSPO.

    Nominations submitted must contain the following:
    1. Name of organisation, membership sector, membership number,
    2. Name of principal nominee and Alternate, their respective positions in the organisation and contact details.
    3. Profile/biography of principal nominee and Alternate, and company/organisation profile (maximum one A4 page)
    Please send your nominations to the RSPO Secretariat either by email ([email protected]) or fax (+603 2302 1542).

    All nominations must reach the RSPO Secretariat no later than 1700 hour (GMT+8), 6 September 2019 (Friday). Please note that a strict policy will be enforced and late nominations WILL NOT be considered.
  2. RESOLUTIONS FOR CONSIDERATION AND ENDORSEMENT BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

    In accordance with the RPSO Statutes 2018, this call also extends to resolutions for consideration by the GA. In order for the GA to meaningfully deliberate and decide on resolutions, these submissions must meet with the requirements stipulated, to facilitate proper consideration of resolutions within a fixed time frame.

    Resolutions must contain the following:
    1. Title of resolution and sponsor/proponent (i.e. RSPO Member)
    2. Summary or background of resolution (maximum one A4 page)
    3. Information and/or contact to obtain full details of resolution
    Guidance - the contents of the proposed resolution should not be in conflict with the RSPO Statutes 2018, Anti-Trust Principles or require changes to the Principles and Criteria (P&C). Resolutions should be worded in a manner that allows for a clear 'For' or 'Against' vote and should not contain multiple options.

    Please send your resolution(s) to the RSPO Secretariat either by post, fax (+603 2302 1542) or email ([email protected]). All submissions of the resolutions must reach the RSPO Secretariat no later than 1700 hour (GMT+8), 6 September 2019 (Friday). Please note that a strict policy will be enforced and late submissions WILL NOT be considered
  3. INFORMATION ON REGISTRATION OF ATTENDANCE OR E-VOTING FOR THE 16TH RSPO GENERAL ASSEMBLY (GA16)

    We encourage all Ordinary Members to register your attendance for GA16.

    Online registration to attend GA16 and e-voting will open on 9 October, 2019. We would also like to take this opportunity to kindly remind you to settle any outstanding membership fees.

    A formal Notice of General Assembly along with the proxy form (for those who are unable to attend and are not registering for e-voting) will be sent to members of RSPO at least 21 days before the GA.

    The draft minutes of GA16 may be viewed or downloaded at https://rspo.org/file/ga/ga16/GA16DraftMinutes.pdf

    For further information, kindly contact the RSPO Secretariat at +603 2302 1500 or email us at [email protected].


Darrel Webber
Chief Executive Officer
Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil

9 August 2019