Not long after we sent out our last newsletter in November and kicked off the New Year with an exciting year ahead, the IRM was faced with several challenges as a result of Covid-19. From late February, the IRM has fully transitioned into a virtual team working from five different countries. Although it was not easy to suddenly adapt to the new working environment, the IRM has started to appreciate some of the benefits of working remotely and has proved that remote working is indeed a viable option for the IRM. The IRM regrets the inevitable postponement of its workshops in March and April, but it nevertheless continues to deliver on its mandates. The IRM is developing online training modules to increase the capacity of the Grievance Redress Mechanisms (GRMs) of the GCF's Direct Access Entities (DAEs) and has held several online meetings to raise the awareness of the IRM's work amongst stakeholders. The IRM has also recently received a new complaint, which has been declared eligible for further processing.
Meet the IRM’s team
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Looking Back on the IRM's Work in 2019
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2019 was a year with many achievements for the IRM. We processed our first self-initiated inquiry into FP001 in Peru, we hosted a workshop in October to build the capacity of Grievance Redress Mechanisms (GRMs) of Direct Access Entities (DAEs), and we made a number of resources available to raise awareness of the IRM's functions. Read a brief overview of the IRM's activities in 2019 here, and you can also view the full 2019 annual report here.
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Due to the global outbreak of Covid-19, the IRM's staff are currently scattered throughout the world in four different continents. However, with the support of many technical tools that we have come to understand better, the IRM is learning how to make long-distance team collaborations happen effectively. To read more about how the IRM works amidst the rapid spread of Covid-19, read our article here. Let us know if you have any tips for the IRM!
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The workshop that we had planned for in March for civil society organisations in Southern Africa had to be indefinitely postponed due to Covid-19 concerns and restrictions. But the IRM, after overcoming its disappointment, mustered its creativity and enthusiasm and connected remotely with a number of participants. Learn more about how the IRM managed to continue its awareness-raising activities through its one-on-one calls and the interesting questions that were raised during our fruitful conversations here.
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1) FP001 - Building the Resilience of Wetlands in the Province of Datem del Marañon, Peru
The IRM is monitoring the outcome of its preliminary inquiry into FP001, Peru. Out of the four undertakings provided by the GCF Secretariat, two have been completed – the issuance of guidance on Free Prior Informed Consent (FPIC) requirements, and risk categorisation for projects involving Indigenous Peoples. The third undertaking - commissioning a legal opinion examining the potential impacts of the creation of the Áreas de Conservación Ambiental (ACA) (conservation area) on collective land rights of indigenous people who are part of the Project – has been delayed. The IRM has however obtained a guarantee that the ACA will not be established until the legal opinion is received and considered by the GCF.
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2) FP043 - Saïss Water Conservation Project
The IRM received a complaint relating to FP043, which is a GCF water conservation project in Morocco that aims to replace the excessive use of groundwater with new sources of surface water. The complaint centres around the insufficiency of the consultation conducted and the lack of information provided to the complainant and others who are affected by this Project. The complaint also raises concerns relating to information provided to stakeholders about access to water and the affordability of that access. The IRM has declared this complaint eligible for further processing. The eligibility determination is publicly available on our website here.
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This video is a compilation of a few interviews that highlight the significant role of the IRM. Check out why grievance redress mechanisms matter here. This video is also available in four other languages (Español, Français, العربية, Português).
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This video illustrates an example of a potential grievance and the process for submitting a complaint to the IRM. Learn more about how and when you can file a complaint to the IRM here (Español, Français, العربية, Português).
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Building the Capacity of Grievance Redress Mechanisms
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What kinds of activities take place during the IRM's capacity-building workshops, and what can you expect from the IRM’s upcoming workshops? The IRM created a short video that highlights and showcases the various exercises conducted in the IRM’s capacity building workshop. The video is available here, and we hope to continue our capacity building workshops very soon once Covid-19 settles down.
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The first conference of the Grievance Redress and Accountability Mechanisms (GRAM) partnership was scheduled for April 2020. We had invited participants from diverse fields to build a strong community of practice. The accelerating spread of Covid-19 led us to take the difficult decision to postpone the event, but our efforts to develop the capacity of grievance redress mechanisms continue via other means. To read more about the GRAM conference that is planned for later this year, click here.
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To fulfil our capacity building mandate, the IRM is currently producing online learning modules to strengthen the capacity of Grievance Redress Mechanisms of GCF’s Direct Access Entities and other accountability practitioners. This comprehensive and interactive online course includes video materials, practical examples and case exercises to enhance knowledge and skills on grievance redress, accountability, problem solving and compliance review. The online modules will soon be available on our website.
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Retaliation: IRM's Supporting Operating Procedures (SOPs)
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As part of the public call for comments on our Supporting Operating Procedures (SOPs) on retaliation, the Head of the IRM hosted three webinars, presenting an overview of the contents of the SOPs and fielding comments and questions. These comments, together with all written inputs, will be reviewed, consolidated and incorporated into the current draft which will be publicly available soon. We thank all those who submitted comments for their valuable contributions! To learn more about why it is so essential that the IRM has procedures in place to deal with the risks of retaliation, read our article here.
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Improving Accessibility of the IRM
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So far, the GCF has approved projects in 129 countries, many of which are non-English speaking countries. As part of the IRM’s efforts to make our resources available to as many people as possible, we have translated a number of our key materials into other languages, including the IRM’s information brochure and the IRM’s new videos. You can read more about our efforts here, and the IRM will keep updating its resources in other languages to increase accessibility!
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The Need to Pre-assess the Social Impacts of Projects
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Projects are not independent of the community; rather, the two shape each other. For this reason, it is crucial to accurately assess the potential social impacts of a project at project sites. Concerns should be evaluated and taken care of at the earliest stage possible to prevent any potential harm caused by the project. Click here to find out what we mean by pre-assessment and what kinds of questions can be asked at this stage.
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