MCRB begins Mini Sector-Wide Impact Assessment (SWIA) on Oil Palm Sector in Tanintharyi Region - News
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MCRB begins Mini Sector-Wide Impact Assessment (SWIA) on Oil Palm Sector in Tanintharyi Region

MCRB has commenced work on an assessment of actual and potential environmental, social and human rights impacts of the oil palm sector in Myanmar.
MCRB has commenced work on an assessment of actual and potential environmental, social and human rights impacts of the oil palm sector in Myanmar.

Building on the work of civil society organisations on the social impacts of the oil palm sector, as well as Fauna & Flora International’s (FFI) research on the environmental impacts of the sector, and the work which One Map Myanmar (OMM) is doing to map oil palm concessions, MCRB has commenced work on an assessment of actual and potential environmental, social and human rights impacts of the oil palm sector in Myanmar.

The overall objective of the Sector-Wide Impact Assessment (SWIA) on oil palm in Tanintharyi is to provide a better understanding of the sector and support responsible business practices of Myanmar oil palm business.

A SWIA on oil palm sector will highlight the actual and potential impacts of investment in the oil palm sector, both positive and negative. It will further make recommendations for government, businesses, civil society and other stakeholders on how to increase positive and reduce negative impacts on human rights and the environment. It can also support the Myanmar Government’s reform of the sector.

The SWIA will consist of a review of the legislative framework concerning oil palm, field research and interviews with stakeholders, and multistakeholder consultation. Based on the findings of the assessment, recommendations will be developed for relevant stakeholders, including the Union and regional governments and oil palm companies and their palm oil customers to ensure good practices in the sector in line with international standards.

The SWIA approach was developed by the Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business (MCRB) in partnership with its co-founders, the Institute of Human Rights and Business (IHRB) and the Danish Institute for Human Rights (DIHR), and is intended to support responsible business practices in growing sectors of Myanmar’s economy. A SWIA is a forward-looking assessment that aims to contribute to preventing and minimising the sector’s negative impacts as well as strengthening and improving the sector’s positive impacts.

The Centre has published SWIAs in Myanmar’s Oil and Gas Sector (2014), Tourism (2015)ICT (2015) and plans publication of SWIA in Myanmar’s Mining Sector in July 2017.

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