Dear Article 6 negotiators, ECO knows you did a lot of work over the last several years and that you have a long work plan this year. So, we don’t want to add too much to your plate. However, we would be remiss if we didn’t point out the importance of establishing the independent grievance mechanism.
ECO celebrated in Glasgow when the final decision at COP26 included the establishment of an independent grievance process. Having an avenue for communities to seek remedy when they’re harmed is essential for respecting the rights of local communities and Indigenous Peoples. But that’s not where the work ends. Now, Parties must establish this process, and it can’t wait. The independent grievance mechanism should be set up before any Article 6 activities take place.
Structures and procedures should be put in place to ensure the independent grievance mechanism is legitimate, accessible, equitable, predictable, transparent, rights-based, and a source of learning. The past has shown us that carbon market activities can and do negatively impact people and their environment. Respecting the right to access effective remedies requires that communities have a place to go when this happens. And that really means when it happens or when they think it will happen, and not years in the future.
Also, don’t limit it to activities under the 6.4 mechanism. To be an ITMO, the cooperative approach must respect human rights including the rights of Indigenous Peoples, and so if someone is negatively impacted by such an activity, they should have access to the grievance mechanism. The right to access effective remedy is a human right.
So, as you work to make Article 6 operational, one of the first things you must do is establish an effective independent grievance mechanism.