Grievance mechanisms are an important part of a businesses’ commitments under the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs).
The UNGPs set out that where companies have caused or contributed to an impact, they have a responsibility to provide or contribute to remedy for those who have been affected. An effective grievance mechanism provides companies with a process for systematically receiving, investigating and responding to rightsholder complaints and implementing remedy to solve them. Grievance mechanisms should sit within a broader stakeholder engagement approach, offering multiple opportunities for rightsholders to raise concerns and/or provide feedback.
This document provides a framework to embed an efficient grievance mechanism in line with the UNGPs. It provides a blueprint to help AIM-Progress members accelerate the development and implementation of their grievance mechanisms to provide remedy and prevent future adverse impact through systemic remediation, and continuous improvement.