By the Witness Radio team.
A coalition of 21 civil society organizations has written to the newly appointed UN Development Program (UNDP) Administrator, Mr. Alexander De Croo, to strengthen the agency’s accountability system, warning that weak enforcement and limited institutional commitment risk leaving affected communities without remedy.
According to a letter obtained by Witness Radio, the human rights organizations are calling for stronger support for SECU, the UNDP body responsible for investigating complaints of social and environmental harm linked to projects supported by the agency.
But the CSOs argue that UNDP’s accountability system must be capable of independently verifying harm, enforcing compliance, and ensuring that affected communities receive meaningful redress when violations occur, beyond simply promoting development.
“Communities must trust that SECU is an impartial fact-finding body that has the expertise and other capacity to directly engage with them, fairly and impartially investigate claims of actual or foreseeable social and environmental harm, and recommend meaningful actions to redress the harm,” the letter reads in part.
The appeal comes at a time when development agencies face increasing scrutiny over how projects affect local communities, particularly in areas involving land use, environmental degradation, and infrastructure expansion. In many instances, civil society organizations have documented cases where community lands have been grabbed, human rights violated, and the environment degraded by development-funded projects.
The organizations warn that the effectiveness of Independent Accountability Mechanisms is under pressure globally, as institutions balance expanding development portfolios with internal cost-cutting measures.
“The appointment of a new Administrator comes at a crucial time in global development where challenges are increasing while resources are decreasing,” the letter states.
According to UNDP’s website, the Accountability Mechanism ensures that projects comply with the organization’s Social and Environmental Standards. Established following the adoption of mandatory standards in 2015, the mechanism includes the Stakeholder Response Mechanism, which facilitates dispute resolution at the project level, and the Social and Environmental Compliance Unit (SECU), which conducts independent investigations into alleged violations.
The organizations emphasize that Independent Accountability Mechanisms are not only investigative tools but also corrective systems meant to influence institutional behavior, improve project design, identify systemic failures, and prevent recurring violations.
At the center of the current appeal is SECU, which assesses whether UNDP-supported projects comply with environmental and social safeguards. Civil society groups, however, argue that investigations alone are insufficient if recommendations are not implemented.
“SECU investigations alone cannot restore livelihoods; resolutions through the complaint process depend on an institutional commitment and action to make complainants whole, which in turn relies on an Administrator’s leadership and responsiveness,” the CSOs’ letter adds.
They further stress that SECU plays a key role in helping UNDP meet its human rights obligations and uphold the UN’s broader human rights mandate, emphasizing the importance of meaningful action over investigations alone.
The appeal also comes amid ongoing discussions within the UN system on cost-cutting measures, with civil society groups warning that such reforms should not weaken accountability functions. They are calling for adequate staffing and financial resources to empower SECU to fulfill its critical role effectively.
The 21 organizations, including Accountability Counsel, MiningWatch Canada, International Rivers, Global Rights (Nigeria), Green Advocates International (Liberia), Urgewald (Germany), and Witness Radio (Uganda), among others, say strengthening accountability is essential to ensure development financing does not come at the expense of the communities it is intended to support.
