Malaysia's palm oil giant Sime Darby Plantation said on Thursday it had dissolved its human rights commission, after the resignation of two of the three experts on the panel that the company had set up to help lift a U.S import ban.
The company said its sustainability committee would take on the commission's role to review a labour practice assessment.The world's largest sustainable palm oil producer established the commission in March after the United States imposed a ban on imports from the firm over accusations of forced labour used in production.
One commission expert resigned in March and was replaced. But the new appointee, rights lawyer Justine Nolan, and another expert, migrant rights activist Andy Hall, quit on Wednesday, citing concerns about a lack of transparency and delays in conducting the assessment.