UNDP Social and Environmental Compliance Unit

07/30/2026

📢 A request for compliance review regarding UNDP’s “Building Resilient Communities, Wetland Ecosystems and Associated Catchments in Uganda” project has recently been determined eligible by SECU for an investigation.

🔍The requestors allege that UNDP-supported wetland reclamation activities in November 2023 led to human rights violations, excessive use of force, the razing of crops and households, and loss of livelihoods in the Rukungiri District of Southwestern Uganda. The complaint also alleges that affected groups were not consulted prior to the implementation of the project.

📂 To read our full Eligibility Determination for the investigation, please visit the case file page here: https://secu.info.undp.org/case-file/secu0028-0

Home Case File - SECU0028 Case File SECU0028 Building Resilient Communities, Wetland Ecosystems and Associated Catchments in Uganda Status: Open - Terms of Reference for the investigation Country: Uganda Requestor(s): Residents of Rukungiri District, Uganda - Represented by Health Equity and Policy....

07/27/2026

📢 The Draft Terms of Reference for Investigation for , regarding UNDP’s “Forestry and Land Restoration Action for Kenya’s NDC (FLaRAK)” project and “Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) REDD+ Readiness Grant” is now available in our case registry here: https://secu.info.undp.org/case-file/secu0027.

📂 Interested stakeholders have 10 working days to submit public comments on the draft TOR. Comments may be submitted in any language to [email protected] by 7 August 2026, end of day.

07/21/2026

📢 A request for compliance review regarding UNDP’s “Forestry and Land Restoration Action for Kenya’s NDC (FLaRAK)” project and “Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) REDD+ Readiness Grant” has recently been determined eligible by SECU for an investigation.

🔍The requestors allege that UNDP-supported initiatives in the Kaptagat Forest Ecosystem were carried out without the involvement or consent of the Keiyo Indigenous Community, despite the community residing adjacent to impacted ecosystems.

📂 To read our full Eligibility Determination for the investigation, please visit the case file page here: https://secu.info.undp.org/case-file/secu0027

07/07/2026

📢 The Draft Summary Report and Draft Detailed Analysis for case , regarding UNDP's “SDG Impact – Catalysing Private Sector Capital for the SDGs” and “Policy and Innovation Hub for Sustainable Development” projects in Cambodia, are now available in both English and Khmer.

🔎SECU finds that, in developing and publishing the SDG Investor Map for Cambodia, UNDP did not meet all of UNDP’s social and environmental standards. Specifically, UNDP did not (1) engage all key stakeholders and ensure that an adequate grievance redress mechanism existed for the Global Project, (2) adequately assess and address risks, and, relatedly, (3) ensure that UNDP was not supporting activities that could violate human rights.

📑To read more about our draft findings and recommendations, please visit our case registry page here: https://secu.info.undp.org/case-file/secu0025-0

💬Our Public Commenting Period is now open. Comments may be submitted in any language to [email protected] until close of business, Monday, 10 August 2026.

Photo Credit: UNDP/Zoe Cox

06/18/2026

📢 The Administrator has released his decision on SECU’s Final Report for Case regarding the “Funding Facility for Stabilization” project in Iraq. SECU will now take steps to monitor the case to track the implementation of the agreed actions by relevant UNDP offices.

👉 Visit the case registry to read his full response, available in English and Arabic:

Home Case File - SECU0022 Case File SECU0022 Funding Facility for Stabilization Status: Open - Monitoring Country: Iraq Requestor(s): Confidential Synopsis of Issues Raised: The complainant alleges that three houses and the road in their town have partially collapsed, and that these affected houses....

06/16/2026

📂 The Final Monitoring Report and Closure Note for case , regarding UNDP's Integrated climate-resilient transboundary flood risk management in the Drin River basin in the Western Balkans Project (Drin FRM Project) is now available in English in our case registry here: https://secu.info.undp.org/case-file/secu0021

🔎 This case was opened in December 2022 when SECU received a complaint from Ohrid SOS, a local citizens’ initiative that raised concerns about the alleged substandard environmental impact assessment (EIA) for the project’s restoration of the Sateska River.

📝 Following SECU’s Investigation Report published in 2024, the UNDP Administrator directed the UNDP Country Office (CO) in North Macedonia to commission a biodiversity study and make recommendations for a monitoring programme for the Sateska riverbed and the diversion structure. The CO further committed to engaging a legal expert to support a working group exploring the divergences between national N. Macedonian EIA practices and UNDP’s Social and Environmental Standards (SES).

🎯 UNDP North Macedonia has since completed a third-party Biodiversity Study ( https://www.undp.org/north-macedonia/publications/biodiversity-study-restoration-sateska-river-its-natural-riverbed ) and Monitoring Programme ( https://www.undp.org/north-macedonia/publications/environmental-and-social-impact-monitoring-program-restoration-sateska-river-its-natural-riverbed ), engaged a legal expert who developed a Standard Operating Procedure for the operation and maintenance of the diversion structure, completed a comparative analysis of the SES and applicable national EIA requirements and developed a standard Terms of Reference for social and environmental screening.

✍SECU's monitoring of this case also highlighted important learnings for UNDP, specifically UNDP’s continued responsibility to provide timely, written responses to all stakeholders and to actively disclose finalized information on all project activities in line with UNDP’s information disclosure policy. UNDP must also ensure that third-party contractors are adequately informed in SES requirements, including on stakeholder engagement.

Based on these efforts by the CO to bring the project into social and environmental compliance, SECU has now closed this case and will remain available to key stakeholders for any further concerns.

06/05/2026

🌿 On this World Environmental Day, SECU would like to highlight the importance of Standards 1 and 2 included in UNDP’s Social and Environmental Standards.

💡Standard 1 promotes an ecosystem approach to biodiversity conservation and sustainable management of natural resources: https://ses-toolkit.info.undp.org/standard-1

💡Standard 2 highlights the need to consider climate mitigation and adaptation alongside disaster risk reduction: https://ses-toolkit.info.undp.org/standard-2

🌍In protecting our planet, development projects must do no harm and actively safeguard both the environment and the local communities they serve. Here at SECU, our compliance reviews help promote accountability by assessing whether UNDP-supported projects have been implemented in line with these standards.

📌If you would like to submit a complaint about a UNDP project, click here to contact us: https://www.undp.org/secu/submit-request


Photo Credit: UNDP Papua New Guinea / Alice Plate

05/21/2026

🌍 On this World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, SECU highlights the power of intercultural dialogue in achieving sustainable development and further recognizes that meaningful consultation with local stakeholders and indigenous knowledge holders is fundamental to social and environmental development.

💡Here at SECU, our compliance investigations aim to hold UNDP accountable to the diverse voices of the communities we serve. When cultural heritage is at risk or local communities feel excluded from the decision-making of a UNDP project, SECU’s compliance investigations provide a critical avenue for dialogue, accountability, and continuous learning.

✍By investigating grievances and ensuring that our Social and Environmental Standards are upheld, we work to protect cultural rights and guarantee that marginalized and indigenous voices are heard and respected in all UNDP-related activities.

📌If you would like to submit a complaint about a UNDP project, click here to contact us: https://www.undp.org/secu/submit-request



Photo Credit: UNDP Indonesia/Andi Pratiwi

05/01/2026

يتوفر الآن التقرير الموجز النهائي لمراجعة الامتثال الصادر عن وحدة الامتثال الاجتماعي والبيئي (SECU)، والتحليل التفصيلي والنتائج والتوصيات الخاصة بالقضية رقم ، المتعلقة بمشروع "صندوق تمويل تحقيق الاستقرار" (FFS) التابع لبرنامج الأمم المتحدة الإنمائي في العراق، باللغتين الإنجليزية والعربية عبر الرابط التالي: هنا.

فُتحت هذه القضية في عام 2023 عندما تلقت وحدة الامتثال الاجتماعي والبيئي شكوى من أحد سكان غرب الموصل، ادعى فيها تعرض ممتلكاته ومنازل أخرى في حيه لانهيار جزئي نتيجة عدم كفاية أعمال إعادة التأهيل ضمن مشروع برنامج الأمم المتحدة الإنمائي. وفي حين خلصت وحدة الامتثال إلى أن الأضرار التي لحقت بممتلكات مقدم الطلب لم تكن مرتبطة بهذا المشروع، إلا أن التحقيق حدد ثغرات في تطبيق المعايير الاجتماعية والبيئية (SES) لبرنامج الأمم المتحدة الإنمائي، بما في ذلك القصور في توثيق تقييمات المخاطر ومحدودية إشراك أصحاب المصلحة.

أُحيلت تقاريرنا، بما تشمله من نتائج وتوصيات، إلى مدير برنامج الأمم المتحدة الإنمائي لاتخاذ القرار والمتابعة. وعقب صدور قرار المدير، ستقوم وحدة الامتثال بمراقبة القضية لتتبع سير تنفيذ الإجراءات المتفق عليها من قبل مكاتب برنامج الأمم المتحدة الإنمائي المعنية.

نود أن نشكر جميع الذين ساهموا في مراجعة الامتثال هذه؛ إذ لم يكن إنجاز هذه التقارير ممكناً لولا انخراط

05/01/2026

📢 The final SECU Compliance Review Summary Report and the Detailed Analysis, Findings and Recommendations for case , concerning the UNDP Funding Facility for Stabilization (FFS) project in Iraq, are now available in English and Arabic here: https://secu.info.undp.org/case/secu0022.

🔎 This case was opened in 2023 when SECU received a complaint from a resident of West Mosul who alleged that their property alongside other houses in their neighborhood have partially collapsed due to inadequate rehabilitation under the UNDP project. While SECU found that the damage of the requester’s property was not related to this project, the investigation identified gaps in the application of UNDP SES, including shortcoming the documentation of risk assessments, and limitation in stakeholder engagement.

📤Our reports, including their findings and recommendations, have been transmitted to the UNDP Administrator for decision and follow-up. Following the Administrator’s decision, SECU will monitor the case to track the implementation of the agreed actions by relevant UNDP offices.

👏We would like to thank all those who contributed to this compliance review. These reports would not have been possible without the engagement of all stakeholders involved.



Photo Cred: UNDP Claire Thomas