African Parks is committed to upholding and promoting the human rights of indigenous people and local communities as we work to fulfil our conservation mission.
Prioritising Human Rights
Effective conservation relies on the active support and participation of local people and we recognise that African Parks has a key role to play in protecting and adhering to the highest standards of human rights. This is a fundamental priority for African Parks – and everyone who works for the organisation. This includes safeguarding the rights of our workforce, as well as the indigenous peoples and local communities living in and around the protected areas we manage.
We always uphold and abide by the laws of the countries where we work and our approach is also guided by key international human rights instruments, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
The management of protected areas must ensure that ecological, social and financial elements are balanced. We, as humanity, are part of nature, and these natural systems will only survive into the future and continue to provide critical ecosystem services if they are managed in an integrated manner. As a conservation organisation, it is our responsibility to ensure this balance, while upholding the highest standards for protecting human rights.
To do this as effectively as possible, African Parks is committed to a number of core principles which ensure that human rights are embedded and prioritised across all areas of our work:
- Respect for human rights
- Building strong partnerships with communities
- Transparency and accountability
- Zero tolerance of sexual exploitation, abuse or child labour
- Equal treatment and due process
- Labour rights of our workforce
- Engaging external experts
- Continuous improvement through training and review
How does African Parks work to protect people and prevent abuse and misconduct?
African Parks has a number of policies and procedures in place aimed at minimising the risk of harm. We constantly seek to learn from our experiences, improve how we work and apply the highest possible standards.
In recent years, we have taken significant measures to enhance our safeguarding practices and reduce the risk of abuse and misconduct. This includes strengthening and external validation of our policies and procedures, improving staff training, seeking guidance from specialist human rights NGOs and legal professionals, and the implementation of a full Grievance and Redress Mechanism.
Our commitment to upholding human rights and mitigating harm, abuse or misconduct is guided by a five-step approach:
- Protect and prevent – To take all appropriate steps to embed human rights principles in all that we do, protect people where we work and to reduce the risk of harm. This includes having the most robust policies and systems in place, conducting environmental and social due diligences in all areas that we manage, ensuring that all staff receive effective training, tracking potential risks and regularly auditing our performance and compliance.
- Report and Record – To record any alleged or reported incidents, and the steps we take to handle them. We have implemented a revised Grievance and Redress Mechanism, which includes channels and tools for both staff and people outside the organisation to report incidents and raise concerns.
- Investigate – We will thoroughly investigate any reports of abuse or misconduct and will involve external agencies and parties as appropriate. This includes the implementation of an independent panel of eminent African legal and human rights experts, who will oversee investigation into any allegation of gross misconduct, have oversight of the full Grievance and Redress Mechanism and guide and support the Board of African Parks on all human rights issues.
- Correct – To learn from each incident, address any gaps or shortcomings in the way we work, and take any appropriate actions to tackle misconduct or abusive behaviour. This may include remedial action, disciplinary measures or corrective actions to improve how we work. We take a zero-tolerance policy towards any inappropriate or abusive behaviour by anyone working for, or with, African Parks.
- Communicate – We keep all partners and relevant stakeholders informed on the progress of any investigations, and the steps we are taking as a result. This includes direct engagement with stakeholders and public statements as well as providing updates through the annual reporting process.
How to report a grievance or concern
We encourage anyone who may be aware of potential misconduct by our staff or associated party, or any grievance related to the management of the protected area, to report them so that we can ensure they are addressed as quickly, fairly and effectively as possible. You can report a concern either by:
- Emailing African Parks Head Office directly: grievances@africanparks.org
- Report confidentially via a third-party service provided by Whistle Blowers (Pty) Ltd:
- WhatsApp messages: +27 81 55 55 201
- Email: africanparks@whistleblowing.co.za
- Website: www.whistleblowing.co.za
- Complaints may also be reported verbally to park representatives and to local community leaders.
- In addition, each park provides local phone numbers, postal and email addresses, through which concerns can be reported.
As soon as we have been made aware of a concern via any of these channels, we will ensure it is investigated and addressed as thoroughly as possible, and complainants will be kept informed of the process. All reports will be treated confidentially and will be handled either by specially trained staff or an independent panel.