This impact story was originally published by UNDP here.
Kota Kinabalu, 19 September – The Embassy of Switzerland in Malaysia made an official visit to Kota Kinabalu from September 12 – 13, 2024, led by the Embassy’s Deputy Head of Mission, Mr. Ralph A. Stamm. This mission was aimed at engaging with key stakeholders involved in driving Sabah’s initiative on Jurisdictional Approach for Sustainable Palm Oil (JASPO), with the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) being one of the key funders of this initiative, through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Green Commodities Programme Phase III (GCP III).
The UNDP-SECO GCP III supports Sabah’s JASPO Initiative through facilitating more effective multi-stakeholder dialogues to catalyse collaboration, building upon achievements made to date, reinforcing a shared vision and goals about the voluntary initiative, strengthening the capacities of the JASPO Secretariat, and facilitating improved ownership among the stakeholders in the implementation of priority actions identified collectively.
The visit provided a significant platform for meaningful discussions on the JASPO Initiative’s achievements and ongoing challenges, and the support of UNDP and SECO to accelerate the efforts. Over the course of two days, Mr. Ralph A. Stamm had courtesy meetings with the Secretary of Natural Resources, Chief Conservator of Forests, Chief Executive Facilitator of Forever Sabah, Head of Conservation Sabah of WWF-Malaysia, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Sawit Kinabalu, and Director of JASPO Secretariat.
“Switzerland is committed to promoting sustainable development globally. We see the Sabah Jurisdictional Approach as a pioneering initiative driven by local actors to make the production of palm oil sustainable at the scale of a whole state. We support this collaboration among very different stakeholders with the goal of improving the lives of workers, farming families and their communities while protecting forests and vulnerable ecosystems,” says Mr. Ralph A. Stamm.
The Secretary of Natural Resources, Mr. Sernam Singh emphasised the importance of stakeholder collaboration. “JASPO is a testament to Sabah’s commitment to sustainability. Engaging with diverse stakeholders ensures that our palm oil industry can thrive while protecting our unique ecosystems and respecting the rights of local communities,” he stated.
Industry players also expressed their commitment to JASPO. Mr Nazlan Mohamad, Sustainability General Manager at Sawit Kinabalu noted, “Sustainable practices are not just a moral obligation but also a business imperative. JASPO is a framework that aligns economic growth with environmental stewardship. We are committed to being part of this positive change.”
The Embassy of Switzerland in Malaysia and UNDP reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Sabah’s efforts through effective collaborative action, technical assistance, capacity building, and fostering international partnerships.
Also present were Embassy’s Policy Officer, Ms. Charlotte Hermanns and UNDP Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam’s Project Manager for Sabah, Ms. Lee Ka Han.