Read the final statement issued by the US NCP concluding the specific instance - 28 July 2015
In June 2013 the US NCP received a request for review from the NGOs Center for Environment and Development (CED) and Network to Fight against Hunger (RELUFA) alleging that Herakles Farms' affiliate SG Sustainable Oils Cameroon (SGSOC) had breached the combating bribery provisions of the Guidelines in Cameroon. More specifically the NGOs alleged that there had been cases of intimidation and bribery of community leaders, government officials, and local citizens by SGSOC officials to gain land for their operations. The NGOs maintained that the company should address those allegations either by publicly denying them or by investigating them, and requested that SGSOC create policies and procedures to regularly consult with the community members and members of civil society.
After undertaking an initial assessment the NCP accepted the specific instance for further consideration and offered its confidential mediation services to assist the parties in seeking a mutually agreeable resolution to the issues raised.
The offer of mediation was accepted by all parties. The mediation sessions facilitated by the U.S. Federal Mediation Conciliation Service (FMCS) started in 2014 with separate telephonic sessions culminating in final joint sessions held on June 16-17, 2015. The mediation successfully concluded with a mutually agreed upon resolution signed by all parties (see annex 2 of the NCP's final statement). Given this successful mediated outcome, the US NCP concluded the specific instance.