A/HRC/54/31 national laws and not in accordance with international standards on the identification and rights of Indigenous Peoples.22 That is despite the Bank having previously acknowledged the need to do more in this area.23 22. In 2022, the European Investment Bank updated its environmental and social standards framework, including standard 7, which addresses vulnerable groups including Indigenous Peoples and women. 24 The Inter-American Development Bank adopted an Indigenous Peoples safeguarding policy in 2006 (updated in 2020), 25 established a social investment funds policy and put in place programmes to increase access to financial resources for Indigenous Peoples and other vulnerable communities. 26 However, the grievance mechanisms currently in place have been criticized for delays in the claims process and a lack of mitigation and reparation measures for the damages suffered by the people and communities affected. 23. The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has formalized the participation of Indigenous Peoples in the work of the agency, including by convening since 2013 an annual Indigenous Peoples forum during meetings of the IFAD Governing Council. The forum enables a more systematic dialogue between Indigenous Peoples and IFAD at the headquarter and regional levels, receiving Indigenous Peoples’ concerns and recommendations to inform IFAD-funded projects. Other good practices to enhance Indigenous Peoples’ participation in decision-making include the Facilitative Working Group of the Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities Platform of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which reviews and provides feedback to Green Climate Fund projects, and the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity 24. The Global Environment Facility (GEF), an intergovernmental fund permanently established in 1992, is the main financial mechanism for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Convention on Biological Diversity. GEF funds are available to countries in economic transition to meet the objectives of international environmental conventions and agreements to address the global climate and biodiversity loss crises.27 Financial support is provided to government agencies, civil society, the private sector, research institutions and other partners. In 2017, the mandate noted good practices undertaken by GEF, including its rights-based policy, “Principles and guidelines for engagement with Indigenous Peoples”, adopted in 2012.28 In 2019, GEF updated its policy on environmental and social safeguards, including provisions on Indigenous Peoples’ free, prior and informed consent, and designated a focal point for Indigenous Peoples within its secretariat. More than 15 per cent of the GEF small grants projects are accessed and managed by Indigenous Peoples’ organizations. 29 GEF has implemented initiatives to provide resources and funding to Indigenous-led conservation initiatives, including through securing land rights.30 Although GEF continues to fund projects that do or could negatively impact the rights of Indigenous Peoples, it has undertaken investigations on safeguarding compliance and suspended projects in cases where human rights violations have been documented. 31 A GEF trust fund was recently established to support the implementation of the Global 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 GE.23-13366 African Development Bank, Updated Integrated Safeguards System (April 2023), pp. 11, 21, 104, 138 and 142. “African Development Bank Group’s development and Indigenous Peoples in Africa”, Safeguards and Sustainability Series, vol. 2, No. 2 (2016). See https://www.eib.org/attachments/publications/eib_environmental_and_social_standards_en.pdf. See https://www.iadb.org/document.cfm?id=2032081. See https://www.iadb.org/es/gender-and-diversity/el-bid-y-los-pueblos-indigenas (in Spanish). See https://www.thegef.org/who-we-are/funding. See https://www.thegef.org/sites/default/files/publications/Indigenous_Peoples_Principle_EN.pdf. See https://www.thegef.org/sites/default/files/publications/GEF_IndigenousPeople2016_CRA.pdf (2016), p. 12. GEF Inclusive Conservation Initiative, available from https://www.inclusiveconservationinitiative.org. See GEF Conflict Resolution Commissioner, safeguards-related cases, available from https://www.thegef.org/projects-operations/conflict-resolution-commissioner. 7