Email sent by Les Amis de la Terre to Société Générale
20/03/2013
Call on Société Générale concerning its financial support of Sime Darby
Dear M. Mépuis,
In your previous conversation, you have stated that Sociéte Générale is not involved in Sime Darby, but please find attached an overview that we have which shows the opposite. We appreciate any clarification on this from your side.
As you have seen, Sime Darby made a statement on the case in Liberia on January 31st. The link to Sime Darby's statement is: http://www.simedarby.com/Statement_on_UN_High_Level_panel_31-s-01-s-13.aspx
Although Sime Darby has invited SDI, FoE Europe and FoE International to a meeting in the week of February 11th to discuss the problems in Liberia, this meeting has not taken place yet, despite the fact that SDI repeatedly asked for a meeting before launching a response and only heard from Sime Darby on Feb 26th. The meeting between SDI (on behalf of FoEE and FoEI) and Sime Darby International might hopefully take place in March.
Please find attached the response by Sustainable Development Institute (SDI-Friends of the Earth Liberia). Additional information can be found at: http://www.foei.org/en/media/resources-for-journalists/sime-darby-and-landgrabs-in-liberia. Here you can find the initial responses by Sime Darby to SDI's report 'uncertain futures' and video testimonies by two of the affected people.
Sime Darby admits that in the initial phase of the project they have not respected Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), thereby violating international human rights agreements. Sime Darby claims that they will apply the FPIC procedure in the other concession areas that Sime Darby has not taken into use so far.
However, Sime Darby has been reluctant to commit to FPIC in contracts between Sime Darby and the Liberian government, calling into question their genuine commitment to change. Until FPIC is included in the contract communities are depending now on Sime Darby’s goodwill and therefore remain vulnerable to the actions of Sime Darby, and unable to uphold their human rights.
We understand from your Palm Oil Policy that Societe Generale wants the companies that they invest in to uphold the RSPO criteria. This is clearly still not the case with Sime Darby in Liberia. Please do contact Sime Darby and urge them to renegotiate the concession contract with the Liberian government as soon as possible.
Moreover, we were thinking that we could discuss all these issues during a meeting around April 16th or 17th, when Anne Van Schaik, from FoEE will be in Paris.
Friendly greetings,
Viviana Varin, (Private Finance Campaigner, Friends of the Earth France / Les Amis de la Terre)
Silas Kpanan' Ayoung Siakor (Community Rights Program Campaigner, Sustainable Development Institute)
Anne van Schaik (Accountable Finance Campaigner, Friends of the Earth Europe)