DGM Grievance Redress Mechanism and Complaints Procedure is active

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In late April, the DGM Global Steering Committee approved a DGM Grievance and Redress Mechanism and Complaints Procedure at their 2nd annual meeting in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. The operation of a Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) is a core accountability commitment of the DGM, and the Global Steering Committee will implement the mechanism in close coordination with DGM National Steering Committees participating in the program.

In the role of Global Executing Agency for the DGM, Conservation International (CI) will facilitate the GRM operation on behalf of the GSC, with Johnson Cerda, the DGM Director for CI, as the primary GEA contact for the receipt of any complaints. Complaints may be submitted by telephone, email, regular mail, text or in person, after which the GEA will follow-up in a timely manner. Eligibility is limited to IPLCs living in regions of tropical forest country that are targeted by the DGM projects in those countries. Complaints related to the country projects may be addressed to the NEA for each country. 

As a decision-making body comprised primarily of indigenous peoples and local communities, the DGM Global Steering Committee operation of a GRM sets an important precedent: Indigenous peoples and local communities across 14 countries will operate a grievance redress mechanism in ways that incorporate customary decision making and conflict resolution procedures already existing in most indigenous territories.  The DGM will also report on the implementation of the GRM procedure at the global and country levels as part of managing the DGM monitoring and evaluation framework.

The GRM procedure was designed in coordination with the DGM National Steering Committees to seek consistency in the design and application of grievance mechanism at the global and country levels of the DGM.  These emerging good practice examples in grievance redress led by indigenous peoples will influence the design of further project-level mechanisms elsewhere.

DGM Brazil:  Centro de Agricultura Alternativa do Norte de Minas (CAA/NM) 

DGM Burkina Faso: IUCN Burkina Faso

DGM Democratic Republic of Congo:  Caritas DRC

DGM Indonesia: Samdhana Institute

DGM Peru:World Wildlife Fund Peru

Written by CI as the Global Executing Agency.