The Management of Golden Veroleum Liberia is pleased to announce its position statement and recommendation towards amicable oil palm development in Butaw District, Sinoe County, Liberia To: the Citizens of Butaw, the Esteemed Paramount Chiefs, Chiefs, Elders, Chairpersons, District Commissioner, the resolution Committee, A-Bloteh Committee, Butaw Youth Association, Butaw Welfare Committee, Butaw Women leadership, Men, Women, Youth of Butaw; including Sinoe County Superintendent and Development Superintendent, and other County officials; and, the Minister of Internal Affairs, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, and other honorable Government officials; the Legislative Caucus of the Sinoe County; Civil Societies and NGOS’s of Sinoe, and the United Nations Civil Affairs: Golden Veroleum (Liberia) Inc (GVL) hereby recognizes you and offers our respects and wishes to present the following Position Statement and Recommendations towards amicable progress in Butaw: GVL Declaration of Position Statement 1. GVL declares and reconfirms that decisions about the use of the land of Butaw will be made by the communities’ citizens. Decisions shall be made by Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), where the communities can say yes or no, and if yes, can agree on details regarding the land arrangements with GVL. Such agreement to be endorsed by Government through its representative agencies. 2. GVL honors the recommendations of The Forest Trust (TFT) report made in March 2013 and the roadmap to resolve prior issues and further improve working methods and practices with the Butaw communities. 3. GVL honors the joint meeting minutes and decisions made in engagement with the A-Bloteh Committee with the assistance of Cllr. Alfred Brownell of Green Advocates and Deputy Minister for Administration, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Hon. Varney Sirleaf. 4. GVL honors the wishes of the Butaw citizens to resume work together for prosperity both for the citizens and the investor. 5. GVL will work directly with communities through their chosen representatives and committees, which we encourage to be broadly and inclusively representative of all citizens whether employed or not at GVL, and in conjunction with the respected and experienced Paramount Chiefs, Clan Chiefs, Elders, Youth and Women’s Leaders, with the endorsement of the Honorable District, County and National Government officials. 6. All discussions to be carried out in Butaw District exclusively, and not outside, so that communities are immediately informed and Plenary sessions of community Assemblies may be conducted for hearings and consultations. Furthermore, GVL recognizes that the communities may obtain advice from any person or organization without any hindrance by GVL. GVL Declaration of Recommendations to the Butaw District Communities 1. For Gravesites and Watercourses, which have been rehabilitated or built, including constructed memorials and wells with pumps, GVL proposes that joint committee will confirm and monitor the ongoing results. In any future development, agreed by the citizens through FPIC, works will be planned and monitored to avoid such occurrences. 2. For the Shrine located and standing within the Nursery, GVL asks if the community wishes to declare this a Butaw Community Sacred site then GVL would respect the site and support the re-habilitation of the site. 3. For the past crop compensation in the palms planted area, GVL proposes to undertake consultative meetings with the Farmer communities. GVL intends to discuss with each Farmer community and proposes recognition, beyond the compensations that have already been paid, in such joint constructive forms as priority for employment, GVL School education of your children, and food security, and commercial, farming opportunities. 4. For the past charges of criminal activities and all and any related claims, GVL proposes to amicably drop and squash all related charges and claims whatsoever, by any associated party or person, and GVL offers a mutually signed declaration to this effect. 5. For implementation of the Community and Members Oil Palm Project, to be owned by the communities and their members, GVL proposes that the communities will immediately start work together with GVL using the FPIC procedure to determine the land area for their Oil Palm and the many decisions that the community and GVL should make about the arrangements of such project. 6. For the designation of further Oil Palm lands for GVL and Community Members Project, GVL proposes that community consultations, information, and, most important participatory mapping, will commenced together with communities and GVL. The designation of land will be based on the FPIC of the communities in accordance with the FPIC handbook, and the community can freely discuss and say “Yes or No” regarding development of the land. 7. For any future crop compensation in areas that the participatory mapping will be carried out that communities and GVL will jointly propose for development, GVL will carry out crop compensation under joint committee supervision, and including Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) Representative, NGOs approved by the communities, and any payment of compensation will be subject to the MoA published rates. All parties will have the option to accept such proposals or not, and in case of non-acceptance, such land will not be included, nor developed. 8. For the payment of Community Development Fund, GVL has the first fund already in her bank account awaiting payment and proposes that the Communities select/ appoint 5 authorized representatives immediately to jointly manage the said fund. By-Laws for the CDF are to be agreed for which GVL commit to submit a draft for communities’ discussion. 9. For the demarcation of the land of the Butaw communities and determination of rightful boundaries between the communities, so that the communities may know their lands, GVL offers the assistance of the GVL mapping and survey experts when carried out along with the participatory mapping exercise mentioned above, to submit to the appropriate Government institutions. 10. For establishment of Memorandum of Understanding and Social Agreement, that governs our agreement and overall understanding between the Butaw communities and GVL, GVL proposes a draft MOU, to be negotiated, finalized and signed after the participatory mapping has successfully been carried out and findings agreed. This includes the above and such as: • Priority for employment for Butaw citizens from the communities who designate or have designated land; • Training and advancement opportunity in GVL management and skilled jobs; • Scholarships for advanced study; • Access to health care; • Access to GVL schooling through early education, elementary school and high schools; • And many other factors, which GVL recommends the communities to consider carefully and openly discuss with GVL We hope that the Butaw communities accept our position and recommendations GVL Management
Posted on: Tue, 03 Dec 2013 06:30:53 +0000
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