Continuation of Voluntary Status for the RSPO Labour Auditing Guidance

The RSPO Labour Auditing Guidance is an optional voluntary document intended for utilisation by RSPO-accredited Certification Bodies (CBs). Its initial trial period was set for 18 months, i.e., from the date of its announcement, 21 November 2022 to 21 May 2024.

The Assurance Standing Committee (ASC) has recently approved the appointment of an independent consultant to conduct a review on the implementation of the Guidance. This independent review aims to evaluate how well the Guidance aligns with current best practices, supports the implementation of Principle 6: Respecting Workers’ Rights and Conditions of the RSPO P&C 2018, and ascertain the feasibility of making the Guidance mandatory in the future. The independent review is scheduled to take place from April to September 2024 before the result is presented to and endorsed by the ASC.

The decision to mandate the Guidance will ultimately be made by the RSPO’s Board of Governors (BoG), based on the recommendations from the independent review. Until then, the Guidance will remain a voluntary document.

For more information or clarification, please contact us at [email protected].

View document: Guidance on Labour Auditing