Mission

The IRM’s mission is to address complaints from affected people and provide recourse in a way that is fair, effective and transparent, and enhance the performance of GCF’s climate funding. The IRM also accepts requests from Developing Countries seeking reconsideration of funding proposals that were denied by the GCF Board.

The IRM has a mandate to provide advice to the Board on GCF’s operational policies and procedures, based on lessons learned from our cases. Recognizing that GCF Direct Access Entities may need assistance to develop their grievance mechanisms and procedures, the IRM has also been mandated to implement programmes for such capacity development. 

Governance

The IRM is independent of the GCF Secretariat, and reports directly to the GCF Board, which oversees the Fund's investments and management. The IRM mandate was initially set out by the GCF Board in a 2013 Terms of Reference (TOR), and is articulated in a number of Board decisions. The IRM's TOR was updated after a series of internal and external consultations. The Board adopted an updated TOR for the IRM in 2017 and the IRM's Procedures and Guidelines in 2019.

The IRM's work is conducted in accordance with its procedures and guidelines and its updated Terms of Reference, which spell out how the IRM and its different functions operate, and how cases will be handled.

GCF policies

To deliver its mandate, the IRM is guided by a number of GCF policies pertinent to GCF's general operations and its projects and programmes:

• Revised Environmental and Social Policy of the GCF
• Interim Environmental and Social Safeguards of the GCF
• Indigenous Peoples Policy of the GCF
• Updated Gender Policy of the GCF
• Information Disclosure Policy of the GCF

Partners

The creation of independent accountability or recourse mechanisms (IAMs) is now held to be best practice for international financial institutions, international development organizations and other similar entities.

The IRM works collaboratively with other grievance redress and accountability mechanisms, some of which belong to GCF Accredited Entities, which channel GCF resources to developing countries.

IAMnet

The IRM is a member of the Independent Accountability Network (IAMnet), a network of dedicated practitioners who exchange ideas and help build institutional capacity in accountability and compliance as part of sound corporate governance.