InfoSAWIT, JAKARTA – Civil society coalition in Indonesia that consists of CSOs, independent smallholders, labors in palm oil companies, indigenous people, local communities, female and male that represented stakeholders that got impact from the implementation of European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) in Indonesia, did welcome the good initiative among Indonesia, Malaysia, and European Union to establish joint task force (JTF).
It could deliver positive impacts to escalate dialogue about traceability and transparency about agricultural supply chain that is risky in deforestation and forest degradation as written in EUDR. Directly or indirectly the future of independent smallholders, labors, indigenous people, local communities in Indonesia would get the influence by the agreement and action plan that JTF would formulate.
As coalition which since in the beginning actively involved, monitored, responded EUDR, the coalition was sorry that the first consultation by JTF on 4 August 2023 was closed (for public) and not inclusive. These were against basic principles in democracy.
Campaigner of Kaoem Telapak, Olvy Tumbelaka said that the coalition was sorry because there is no available information for the public that other vulnerable stakeholders would use, such as, smallholders, labors, indigenous people, local communities, and independent monitoring groups to confirm that every phase, process in JTF would not discriminate the vulnerable parties.
“We hope to be involved in and in the dialogue process, the task force, every party, could represent the impacted parties, civil organizations from EUDR implementation,” Olvy said in Media Briefing abbouot JTF EUDR Indonesia-Malaysia and European Union that InfoSAWIT attended, Thursday (12/10/2023) in Jakarta.
She continued, the coalition thought that formulating agreement that delivers widely impacts without taking every stakeholder, namely the vulnerable parties, would not be contra to democracy principles and human rights only but also would influence the goal quality in JTF about EUDR implementation.
“To confirm that agreement to be realized and action plan which JTF agreed with, will not be negative or harmful for vulnerable parties in the future days, coalition needs to say that every phase in JTF should be running transparently according to transparent principles and assessment, participation, be inclusive, and be accountable,” she said.
For these years, dialogue in the task force only prioritized palm oil business only. In the field, as a matter of fact, many parties would get the impacts of EUDR implementation. “The implementation of transparent principles and assessment should not be separated one to the other. JTF represents not only one party only but should deliver profits for every party,” she said. (T2)
