In June 2014 UNDP adopted mandatory Social and Environmental Standards (SES) for all of UNDP’s projects and programmes effective 1 January 2015. The objectives of the Standards are to:
The Standards will be underpinned by an Accountability Mechanism with two key components:
A Compliance Review to respond to claims that UNDP is not in compliance with applicable environmental and social policies
2. A Stakeholder Response Mechanism (SRM)
A Stakeholder Response Mechanism (SRM) that ensures individuals, peoples, and communities affected by projects have access to appropriate grievance resolution procedures for hearing and addressing project-related complaints and disputes.
The Social and Environmental Compliance Unit (SECU) investigates alleged non-compliance with UNDP’s Social and Environmental Standards and Screening Procedures from project-affected stakeholders and recommends measures to address findings of non-compliance.
The Stakeholder Response Mechanism helps project-affected stakeholders, UNDP’s partners (governments, NGOs, businesses) and others jointly address grievances or disputes related to the social and/or environmental impacts of UNDP-supported projects.
Affected people have a choice: They can ask SECU to pursue a compliance review examining UNDP’s compliance with UNDP social and environmental commitments, they can attempt to resolve complaints and disputes through the Stakeholder Response Mechanism or they can ask both for compliance review and for an effort to resolve their concerns.
Get involved - Share your feedback and receive updates on UNDP's Social and Environmental Compliance Unit and Stakeholder Response Mechanism
Social and Environmental Compliance Unit:
secuhotline@undp.org
Stakeholder Response Mechanism:
stakeholder.response@undp.org
SECU Case Registry
Click to explore SECU's Case Registry, which includes information and relevant documents related to SECU's current and prior compliance review cases.
SRM Case Registry
Click to explore the SRM's Case Registry, which includes information and relevant documents related to SRM's current and prior problem solving cases.
Girl carrying water in Mozambique
You may submit requests via telephone, post, email, or social media applications. For more information on these options, please see below.
Call (costs are incurred by caller) using 001 (917) 207 4285. Skype is an affordable way to place such a call.
Submitting a Request by Post (in any language)
You may also mail any request or communication to:
Attn: SECU/SRM, OAI, UNDP
1 U.N. Plaza, 4th Floor
New York, NY USA 10017
Submitting a Request by Email (in any language)
Alternatively, you may submit a SECU and SRM request or communication to: project.concerns@undp.org
If you choose to email or mail your complaint, please note that there are no strict format or language requirements. It is helpful if the complaint includes the following information:
For assistance in submitting a request via email or mail, please download this guidance form.
Please message us on WhatsApp, Viber and Signal using 001 (917) 207 4285, or through our WeChat account @SECUSRM
The revised Social and Environmental Standards (SES) came into effect on 1 January 2021. The SES underpin UNDP's commitment to mainstream social and environmental sustainability in our Programmes and Projects to support sustainable development.
The SES are an integral component of UNDP’s quality assurance and risk management approach to programming. This includes our Social and Environmental Screening Procedure.
Key Elements of the UNDP's Social and Environmental Standards include:
Part A: Programming Principles:
Part B: Project-Level Standards:
Part C: Social and Environmental Management System Requirements:
Screening and categorization of projects is one of the key requirements of the Social and Environmental Standards (SES).
In this regard, the objectives of UNDP's Social and Environmental Screening Procedure (SESP) are to:
UNDP has recently established a corporate grievance, or dispute resolution mechanism, called the Stakeholder Response Mechanism (SRM), which will provide a supplemental, formal avenue for stakeholders to engage with UNDP. The SRM will be available to stakeholders when they believe that a UNDP project may have adverse social or environmental impacts on them; they have raised their concerns with Implementing Partners and/or with UNDP through standard channels for stakeholder consultation and engagement; and they have not been satisfied with the response.
The SRM provides a way for UNDP to address these situations systematically, predictably, expeditiously, and transparently. Through the SRM, UNDP Country Offices, Regional Bureaux and Service Centers and Headquarters collaborate in a thorough, good faith effort to resolve outstanding concerns to the satisfaction of all parties, and to document the results to ensure accountability and promote
The purpose of the Investigation Guidelines (Guidelines) for the Social and Environmental Compliance Unit (SECU) is to:
The Social and Environmental Compliance Unit and the Stakeholder Response Mechanism's brochure includes additional information about SECU and the SRM.
The Social and Environmental Compliance Unit (SECU) investigates alleged non-compliance with UNDP’s Social and Environmental Standards and Screening Procedure from project-affected stakeholders and recommends measures to address findings of non-compliance.
The Stakeholder Response Mechanism (SRM) helps project-affected stakeholders, UNDP’s partners (governments, NGOs, businesses) and others jointly address grievances or disputes related to the social and/or environmental impacts of UNDP-supported projects.
Download the brochure to learn more.
The Social and Environmental Compliance Unit and the Stakeholder Response Mechanism's brochure includes additional information about SECU and the SRM.
The Social and Environmental Compliance Unit (SECU) investigates alleged non-compliance with UNDP’s Social and Environmental Standards and Screening Procedure from project-affected stakeholders and recommends measures to address findings of non-compliance.
The Stakeholder Response Mechanism (SRM) helps project-affected stakeholders, UNDP’s partners (governments, NGOs, businesses) and others jointly address grievances or disputes related to the social and/or environmental impacts of UNDP-supported projects.
Download the brochure to learn more.
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