Global Fund Launches Human Rights Complaints Procedure

Published on Monday, 27 April 2015 16:36 GENEVA – The Global Fund partnership has launched a human rights complaints procedure as part of its commitment to protect and promote human rights in the context of fighting AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. The complaints mechanism allows individuals to submit a complaint to the Global Fund’s Office of the Inspector General if any of five minimum human rights standards is believed to have been violated by an implementer of Global Fund grants, in line with the partnership’s commitment to the highest standards of accountability.

Any individual can contact the Office of the Inspector General by email, by telephone or through the Global Fund’s website. All information will remain confidential, and anyone making a complaint can also choose to remain anonymous.

All Global Fund-supported programs are required to meet minimum human rights standards aimed at guaranteeing that Global Fund investments do not infringe upon human rights, that they increase access to quality services and maximize the potential impact of health interventions.

The information in the complaint will be carefully assessed to identify the seriousness of the allegations, and whether to conduct an investigation. The Global Fund welcomes information that will enable action to improve services.

“The Global Fund needs to know about any human rights infringements in the programs we support,” said Inspector General Mouhamadou Diagne. “We encourage all to speak up using our whistle-blowing channels which are free, safe and confidential.”

The five minimum human rights standards are: non-discriminatory access to services for all, including people in detention; employing only scientifically sound and approved medicines or medical practices; not employing methods that constitute torture or that are cruel, inhuman or degrading; respecting and protecting informed consent, confidentiality and the right to privacy concerning medical testing, treatment or health services rendered; and avoiding medical detention and involuntary isolation, to be used only as a last resort.

Principal Recipients are required to identify the risk that any of these standards may be violated. Where a risk is identified, they may need to develop a mitigation plan to ensure violations do not occur. Principal Recipients must also reflect these five standards in agreements with sub-recipients and suppliers and disclose to the Global Fund any cases of non-compliance with the standards.

The Global Fund partnership is committed to removing human rights barriers that reduce access to health programs, and undermine efforts to end HIV, TB and malaria as epidemics.

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Ibon Villelabeitia Telephone: +41 79 292 54 26
E-mail: ibon.villelabeitia@theglobalfund.org  

Source: The Global Fund