Grievance Case Summary
Note: This grievance case was receive prior to the launch of the HCSA Grievance Mechanism and was investigated under the HCSA Interim Grievance Resolution Procedure.
| Case Reference: | HCSA-GM-2018-01 |
| Grievance Raiser: | Milieudefensie, Sustainable Development Institute and Friends of the Earth USA |
| Member Respondent: | Golden Agri Resources (GAR) linked to its operation of investment company Golden Veroleum (Liberia) Inc. (GVL) |
| Date Complaint(s) Submitted: | 2nd July 2018 |
| Date Complaint(s) Accepted: | 21st August 2018 |
| Location of Complaint: | Liberia |
| Case Status: | Active |
| Grievance Allegation(s): | HCS & HCV forest clearing Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) rights violations |
Grievance Case Timeline
| Date | Event / Activity | Document |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Jul 2018 | HCSA receives grievance letter on GVL HCS & HCV clearing and FPIC violations | |
| 25 Jul 2018 | EC agreed to develop a grievance protocol | |
| 21 Aug 2018 | HCSA commits to investigate the grievance | |
| 1 Oct 2018 | HCSA Interim Grievance Resolution Procedure published | IGR Procedure |
| 5 Nov 2018 | HCSA clarifies that GVL is a GAR operation of investment | Statement |
| 12 Apr 2019 | EC decides an independent panel will be established to adjudicate the grievance | |
| Jun 2019 | IGP Terms of Reference is approved | IGP ToR |
| 16 Oct 2019 | IGP commence deliberations on the grievance | |
| 20 Aug 2020 | GVL responds to HCSA Final Grievance Report | |
| Oct 2020 | IGP reviews & submits response to GVL’s feedback | |
| 17 Dec 2020 | EC draws conclusion on case and creates EC Conclusion document | |
| 13 Jan 2021 | EC Conclusion document communicated to complainant and defendant | EC Conclusions |
| 4 Feb 2021 | ‘HCSA_GM_2018_01_GVL_GAR Grievance Case Final Report’ uploaded on HCSA Website | Report |
| 16 Mar 2021 | IGP and HCSA Secretariat draft a Gap Analysis comparing the IGP conclusions & recommendation with GVL Sustainability Action Plan | |
| 17 Jun 2021 | IGP prepared the first Excel Timebound Plan Template | |
| 17 Nov 2021 | IGP created the new Timebound Plan Framework to address gaps within the first Timebound Plan Template | |
| Nov 2021 – Jun 2022 | The new Timebound Plan was developed and improved by the IGP and the HCSA Secretariat via several rounds of online review and meetings based on inputs from Complainants and Respondent | |
| 1 Mar 2022 | HCSA Secretariat published the EC approved the HCSA Restoration and Remediation Guidance – Version 1 | Guidance |
| 23 Jun 2022 | HCSA Timebound Plan Framework for the GVL_GAR Grievance Case | Framework |