PRESS RELEASE 26^TH SENIOR OFFICIALS MEETING OF CPOPC 23 NOVEMBER 2023 SURABAYA, INDONESIA

1. The 26th Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) of the Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC) was held on 23 November 2023 in Surabaya, Indonesia. The meeting focused on reviewing the outcomes of activities accomplished during the specified period and strategizing future milestones, particularly in relation to the endorsement of CPOPC's work plan and budget for the upcoming year.
2. The meeting was co-chaired by Dato’ Mad Zaidi bin Mohd Karli, Secretary General, Ministry of Plantation and Commodities, Malaysia, and Dr. Musdhalifah Machmud, Senior Advisor for Connectivity, Service Sector, and Natural Resource, Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia.
3. In their respective opening remarks, Indonesia and Malaysia pointed out that the Ad Hoc Joint Task Force (JTF) is an avenue to address concerns of both countries in responding to the European Union Deforestation-free Regulation (EUDR). The SOM leaders acknowledged the role of CPOPC to facilitate in identifying win-win solutions and best approaches, mutually beneficial by all parties, particularly in the incoming meeting of the Ad Hoc JTF scheduled to take place in the second half of January 2024.
4. Honduras who recently joined as a full member of CPOPC underlined the importance of the greater role of CPOPC in the international arena. The opening remarks were delivered by Mr. Lid Roy Lazo Rodríguez, Undersecretary of State in the Office of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of Honduras.
5. SOM leaders took note of the outcomes from the CPOPC's working visit to Italy, the Netherlands, and Belgium from 17-26 October 2023. The visit facilitated information exchange on recent developments concerning the EUDR and other challenges confronting the oil palm industry, and included engagements with government officials, industry representatives, and Civil Society Organisations. SOM underscored the necessity to ease the transition, advance traceability mechanisms, and maintain transparency in the benchmarking process as key insights from the visit. These findings will be elaborately discussed at the 2nd meeting of the Ad Hoc Joint Task Force scheduled for the second half of January 2024 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
6. The meeting was also attended by high-level representatives from observer countries namely Colombia, Ghana, and Papua New Guinea (PNG), and guest countries, namely Nigeria and Guatemala. They highlighted the need for cooperation among producing countries to address challenges faced by the palm oil industry in view of the importance of the industry for the socio-economic development of their nations. The three observer countries reiterated their efforts to expedite the accession to be a full member of CPOPC. Additionally, Guatemala and Costa Rica indicated their interest to come on board with CPOPC.
7. The meeting recognised the commendable strides made by CPOPC in enhancing its engagement with multilateral organizations, particularly the United Nations agencies. This includes CPOPC attaining observer status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (UN ECOSOC) and engaging effectively with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP). The meeting recognised these efforts as vital in increasing CPOPC's global visibility and its involvement in international dialogues and initiatives. It expressed hope that these actions would support sustainability initiatives and to strengthen palm oil sustainability in the industry and contribute to improving the perception of palm oil globally.
8. The meeting recognised CPOPC's persistent endeavours to forge alliances among palm oil producing countries, including the recent visit to Latin America countries following the success of the accession of Honduras. Such efforts become more relevant in view of the global dynamics impacting the oil palm industry, where CPOPC plays a pivotal role as a unified voice for the producing nations.
9. The meeting recognised the evolving challenges of the palm oil industry, particularly with the European Commission's proposed ban on forced labour products. In response to the emerging trends which exclude palm oil such as the newly established Global Biofuel Alliance and the European Parliament's RefuelEU aviation rules, CPOPC is urged to strengthen advocacy for fair inclusion in biofuel standards and to seek opportunities in the market for palm oil-based sustainable aviation fuels.
10. The meeting acknowledged the CPOPC initiatives supporting sustainability. It endorsed the continuation of smallholder workshops to enhance skills in sustainable practices and technology use, while recognizing the 2nd Sustainable Vegetable Oils forum's role in promoting collaboration on industry-wide challenges.
11. CPOPC acknowledged the role of youth as agents for palm oil positive campaigns and updated SOM leaders that the #YoungElaeis Ambassadors initiative has entered its final phase. From over 80 applicants, 28 finalists have been chosen, representing four producing countries-Indonesia, Malaysia, Honduras, and Ghana-and five consuming countries-India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, France, and the Netherlands.
12. The meeting agreed that the 27th SOM will be convened in Malaysia next year and Indonesia will hold CPOPC Chairmanship from 1 January until 31 December 2024.