In 2015, FAO adopted the Environmental and Social Management Guidelines (ESMG). The Guidelines are an important building block for FAO’s approach to achieve sustainable development. They establish the knowledge and tools for FAO headquarters and decentralised offices to identify and manage environmental and social risks in the organisation’s strategies, policies and field programmes, projects and sub-projects.
FAO Environmental and Social Standards relate to the following areas:
- Natural Resource Management
- Biodiversity, Ecosystems and Natural Habitats
- Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture
- Animal - Livestock and Aquatic - Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture
- Pest and Pesticide Management
- Involuntary Resettlement and Displacement
- Decent Work
- Gender Equality
- Indigenous Peoples and Cultural Heritage
Compliance Review Mechanism
FAO is committed to ensure that its programmes are implemented in accordance with the Organization’s environmental and social obligations. In order to ensure that beneficiaries of FAO programmes have access to an effective and timely mechanism to address their concerns about non-compliance with these obligations, the Organization has entrusted the Office of the Inspector-General with the mandate to independently review the complaints that cannot be resolved at the programme management level.
The mechanism set out in the guidelines is designed to be independent, transparent and effective so as to provide programme beneficiaries with a means to have their complaints resolved and to keep them informed of what is being done to address their concerns throughout the compliance review process.