Creating Accountability and Remedy Mechanisms for Communities Negatively Affected by Large-Scale Land Acquisitions: A Practical Case Study of Engaging with the Vietnam Rubber Group in Cambodia and Lao PDR
Cohen, Josie
Since August 2012, London-based NGO Global Witness has been engaging directly with the Vietnam Rubber Group, Vietnamms state-owned rubber company. This engagement process has led the company to launch two innovative mechanisms designed to provide remedy to the communities in Cambodia and Laos affected by their plantations. The first is a community consultation process which VRG has already piloted among affected communities surrounding seven of its plantations. Plans to extend the mechanism to their other concessions are already underway. While far from perfect, the consultations have already resulted in some affected community members receiving compensation payments. Meanwhile, VRGGs unprecedented Feedback, Petition and Disclosure Mechanismm, which launched in July 2014, sets up a direct channel of communication between the company and communities surrounding their plantations. It allows community members and their representatives to lodge formal complaints or enquiries which the company commits to respond to within thirty days. Global Witness has a formal role to monitor how the mechanism is functioning and feedback to VRG every six months.
Event: Annual World Bank Conference on Land and Poverty 2015
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