**Information on IFC's Policy and Performance Standards on Environmental and Social Sustainability can be found at www.ifc.org/sustainability
IFC supports its clients in addressing environmental and social issues arising from their business activities by
requiring them to set up and administer appropriate grievance mechanisms and/or procedures to address
complaints from Affected Communities.
In addition, Affected Communities have unrestricted access to the Compliance Advisor/Ombudsman (CAO),
the independent accountability mechanism for IFC. The CAO is mandated to address complaints from people
affected by IFC-supported business activities in a manner that is fair, objective , and constructive, with the
goal of improving environmental and social project outcomes and fostering greater public accountability of
IFC.
Independent of IFC management and reporting directly to the World Bank Group President, the CAO works to
resolve complaints using a flexible, problem-solving approach through its dispute resolution arm and oversees
project-level audits of IFC's environmental and social performance through its compliance arm.
Complaints may relate to any aspect of IFC-supported business activities that is within the mandate of the
CAO. They can be made by any individual, group, community, entity, or other party affected or likely to be
affected by the environmental or social impacts of an IFC-financed business activity. Complaints can be
submitted to the CAO in writing to the address below:
Compliance Advisor/Ombudsman
International Finance Corporation
2121 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Room F11K-232
Washington, DC 20433 USA
Tel: 1 202 458 1973
Fax: 1 202 522 7400
E-mail: cao@worldbankgroup.org
The CAO receives and addresses complaints in accordance with the criteria set out in its Operational
Guidelines which are available at: www.cao-ombudsman.org
**Information on IFC's Policy and Performance Standards on Environmental and Social Sustainability can be found at www.ifc.org/sustainability
IFC supports its clients in addressing environmental and social issues arising from their business activities by
requiring them to set up and administer appropriate grievance mechanisms and/or procedures to address
complaints from Affected Communities.
In addition, Affected Communities have unrestricted access to the Compliance Advisor/Ombudsman (CAO),
the independent accountability mechanism for IFC. The CAO is mandated to address complaints from people
affected by IFC-supported business activities in a manner that is fair, objective , and constructive, with the
goal of improving environmental and social project outcomes and fostering greater public accountability of
IFC.
Independent of IFC management and reporting directly to the World Bank Group President, the CAO works to
resolve complaints using a flexible, problem-solving approach through its dispute resolution arm and oversees
project-level audits of IFC's environmental and social performance through its compliance arm.
Complaints may relate to any aspect of IFC-supported business activities that is within the mandate of the
CAO. They can be made by any individual, group, community, entity, or other party affected or likely to be
affected by the environmental or social impacts of an IFC-financed business activity. Complaints can be
submitted to the CAO in writing to the address below:
Compliance Advisor/Ombudsman
International Finance Corporation
2121 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Room F11K-232
Washington, DC 20433 USA
Tel: 1 202 458 1973
Fax: 1 202 522 7400
E-mail: cao@worldbankgroup.org
The CAO receives and addresses complaints in accordance with the criteria set out in its Operational
Guidelines which are available at: www.cao-ombudsman.org
