The GPSNR Grievance Mechanism (“Grievance Mechanism”) is a non-legal process established for stakeholders to express concerns they have about a GPSNR member or the GPSNR Secretariat and find optimal ways to resolve disputes. This Mechanism is distinct from the grievance mechanisms that ordinary company members are required to establish and maintain, and should be used in the event that the company’s mechanism has not successfully resolved the complaints raised. It also does not replace legal avenues for resolving grievances.
The Grievance Mechanism is not for the purpose of punishing GPSNR members. It is about providing redress and remedy to any party that has suffered negative impacts from the actions of members. It can resolve conflicts before they become reputational risks for GPSNR or its members and show the responsiveness and legitimacy of the Platform.
The GPSNR Grievance Mechanism’s goals are:
Grievances can be submitted through any of the following channels:
Members’ Grievance Channels
Based on GPSNR’s own grievance procedure, we recommend that grievances against GPSNR members first be filed directly through the members’ own grievance mechanism. If necessary, the grievances can then be escalated to GPSNR’s own grievance mechanism. To ensure accessibility and transparency, the Secretariat has compiled a list of GPSNR members’ grievance mechanisms which can be found below:
The Complaints Panel is currently chaired by Petra Westerlaan. The other three positions in the Complaints Panel are selected on a case-by-case basis from the pool of volunteers listed below:
The GPSNR Grievance Mechanism:
While the cost of the mechanism will generally be split 50/50 between parties, the Complaints Officer will be encouraged to give consideration to each of the parties and remove financial obligation from small CSOs, local farmer associations/groups, or other impacted communities. This will be determined on a case-by-case basis until we gain learnings and continuously improve the mechanism for greater function.
In the event that any party believes the grievance process was conducted inadequately (for example: later discovered conflict of interest of a member of the Complaints Panel, misconduct on the part of The formal, written appeal will go to the Executive Committee along with all documents related to the case. The Executive Committee will review the case and come to a decision on whether to have the complaint revisited in the formal grievance process. Further procedures to guide the appeals process can be found here.
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