Incheon, 12 January 2024 - Following months of preparation, the Independent Redress Mechanism (IRM) case C0009 Egypt reached a partial settlement through a comprehensive Problem Solving Agreement, addressing community development concerns and outlining a path forward for collaboration. The agreement was signed during a joint meeting held on 14 and 15 December 2023 in Aswan, Egypt.

In September and November 2022, the IRM received two complaints related to concerns over GCF project FP039. The complainants raised several allegations regarding employment issues, including working conditions, labour management issues, benefits and promotions; prevention of access to a grievance mechanism; retaliation for filing complaints; and lack of community development in the village of BenBan, where the project is based. Complaints were also filed with the Compliance Advisor Ombudsman of the IFC and the Independent Review Mechanism of the AfDB, who both agreed to address the employment-related issues, while the IRM agreed to address the community development issues.

After the two complaints about community development were declared eligible by the IRM, the case entered the initial steps stage, where the Benban community and Benban Solar Developers Association (BSDA), the general coordinator for various projects in the Benban Solar Park, indicated their willingness to resolve the issues through a problem solving process.

After a series of discussions carried out between May and December 2023, the Parties signed a Problem Solving Agreement on 15 December 2023, agreeing to the following points:

1. Exchange information and build agreements to increase the trust, transparency, and effectiveness of BSDA’s community consultation practices;
2. Exchange views and build common ground to improve BSDA’s Community Social Investment Strategy, specifically on their livelihood, education, and healthcare community programmes;
3. Improve the relationship between BSDA and the Benban community, in line with good international practices based on effective communication and collaboration;
4. Start the monitoring stage of the problem solving agreements, in line with the agreed timelines for implementation and the monitoring roles for the IRM;
5. Close the complaint received by the IRM regarding community-related issues.

“We are glad to see the progress made between BSDA and the Benban community,” said Sonja Derkum, IRM Head. “With this Problem Solving Agreement, an important milestone has been reached. The agreement shows the benefits of company-community mediation as well as the importance of facilitated dialogue in resolving conflicts.”

Throughout 2024, the IRM will monitor the implementation of the various agreements as outlined in the Problem Solving Agreement. Following the monitoring stage, the parties will consider organising a joint workshop to further discuss lessons learned.

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About the Problem Solving Agreement

To access photos from the signing ceremony: https://bit.ly/47h1H1z

To access the full Problem Solving Agreement in English and Arabic, visit the IRM Case Register page for C0009 Egypt: https://irm.greenclimate.fund/case/c0009-egypt

About the Independent Redress Mechanism

As part of its mandate, the Independent Redress Mechanism (IRM) addresses complaints by people who believe they are negatively affected or may be affected by projects or programmes funded by the Green Climate Fund (GCF). The IRM is independent of the GCF Secretariat and reports directly to the GCF Board. For more information about the IRM: https://irm.greenclimate.fund/about

Media contact

Peter Carlson, Communications Officer, Independent Redress Mechanism, [email protected].