Advancing Grievance and Redress Mechanisms in Protected Areas

The workshop was co-facilitated with the Forest Peoples Programme (FPP) and the IUCN Commission on Environmental, Economic and Social Policies (CEESP). It brought together GRM knowledge holders, Indigenous Peoples and local community representatives, IUCN Green List, ESMS, World Heritage and other interested actors to exchange experiences and develop recommendations to strengthen GRM design and implementation, across a variety of contexts. 

The workshop was structured in three parts: presentation of the findings of the scoping study conducted previously, a case study discussion and group work to draft recommendations across five key themes: 1) accountability chains, 2) enforceability and follow-up, 3) independence and legitimacy, 4) relationships with wider legal and governance reforms, and 5) community participation in GRM design and governance.

The discussions were supported by most recent research on the topic and insights from experiences on the ground and nourished through different actors’ perspectives. The intensity and richness of the exchanges were captured by the participants during their group work session. Each topic was introduced through a set of key statements and questions, that participants were invited to explore, including identifying barriers and recommendations to overcome them.

IUCN will commission further research and convene follow on exchanges. The final output is to produce a new best practice publication, which will draw on the recommendations from the work conducted so far. This guidance will support practitioners in designing, strengthening, and managing GRMs in protected areas.  For further information, please contact: [email protected].