Performance standards in practice: GRAM Partnership Webinar with MICI

Performance standards are crucial for organisations to mitigate the risks and impacts of projects. Many standards provide an international benchmark to identify and manage risks around environmental and social conditions, labour conditions, pollution, health and safety, land acquisition and resettlement, biodiversity conservation, indigenous peoples, cultural heritage and other issues.

The 6th GRAM Webinar, held in collaboration with the Independent Consultation and Investigation Mechanism (MICI) of the Inter-American Development Bank on 21 June 2022, focused on performance standards and how they have been applied in cases, using both problem solving and compliance review methods.

Angela Miller, Principal Environmental and Social Specialist, introduced the IDB Invest standards around Informed Consultation and Participation (ICP), Free, Prior, and Informed Consent of Indigenous Peoples (FPIC) and Broad Community Support (BCS). This presentation was followed up with an introduction by MICI Director Andrea Repetto Vargas. The webinar concluded with presentations by Martin Packmann on a MICI dispute resolution case on an electricity reconstruction programme in Ecuador and Maria Elisa Dugo on a MICI compliance review case on a wind energy project in Mexico.