KfW Development Bank supports the German Federal Government in achieving its goals in development policy and international cooperation. On behalf of the German Federal Government, and primarily the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), KfW finances and supports programmes and projects that mainly involve public sector players in developing countries and emerging economies – from their conception and execution to monitoring their success. Our goal is to help our partner countries fight poverty, maintain peace, protect both the environment and the climate and shape globalisation in an appropriate way.

The projects and programmes supported by KfW Development Bank are subject to comprehensive and systematic environmental and social due diligence. Nevertheless, in individual cases, unexpected adverse impacts related to environmental, social or human rights issues may occur. To ensure that such impacts can be addressed in a timely and transparent manner, all partners of KfW Development Bank – including financial intermediaries – are required to establish a project-specific complaints mechanism and to make it known and accessible to those affected by the respective projects and programmes. In addition, it is possible to submit a complaint to the complaints mechanism of KfW Development Bank. The objective of the complaints mechanisms is to protect and promote the rights of affected individuals and communities.

KfW Development Bank´s complaint mechanism, in accordance with KfW´s policy statement on human rights, is guided by the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) and international human rights instruments, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the European Convention on Human Rights and the core labour standards of the International Labour Organization (ILO). In particular, it takes into account the UNGP criteria for non-judicial grievance mechanisms. It is aligned with the standards set out in the Sustainability Guideline of KfW Development Bank(PDF, 314 KB, accessible), which define the environmental, social and human rights requirements applicable to a project.