Other non-state initiatives for complaint and remedy: Multi-stakeholder and civil society mechanisms
There is a range of non-state initiatives that provide channels for complaints about business-related human rights harms. These initiatives differ significantly from one another, including in their purpose, governance, accessibility, relationship to companies, and ability to support or secure remedy. The examples below fall into two broad categories:
- Complaint mechanisms within multi-stakeholder initiatives, which involve companies and other business actors alongside civil society organisations, trade unions, community representatives, public bodies or other stakeholders. Binding labour agreements are a type of multi-stakeholder initiative, but they are covered on a dedicated page in this tool.
- Civil society complaint tools, which are developed independently by civil society organisations to help workers, communities and other affected people raise complaints and document harms.
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1. Complaint mechanisms within multi-stakeholder initiatives, including sector-wide initiatives
Multi-stakeholder initiatives are collaborations between businesses, civil society and other stakeholders meant to address mutual concerns in their sectors, such as the protection of human rights and environmental rights. Participants can include companies, business associations, trade unions, community representatives, civil society organisations, public bodies, donors or independent experts.
In some cases, these initiatives include complaint channels for raising concerns about human rights or environmental harms connected to companies that are members of, certified by, or otherwise covered by the initiative. Some of these initiatives receive support from governments or other public bodies.
However, multi-stakeholder initiatives are not courts, regulators or public enforcement bodies. They generally cannot issue binding decisions or compel companies to provide remedy. Their ability to secure remedy is often limited.
MSI Integrity’s 2020 landmark report "Not Fit-For-Purpose"
In July 2020, MSI Integrity published a report "Not Fit-For-Purpose", concluding after 10 years of research that multi-stakeholder initiatives (MSIs) have failed to deliver on their promise to protect human rights.
Some of the key insights in the report include: many MSIs set weak or narrow standards that overlook the root causes of abuses; MSIs employ inadequate mechanisms to detect abuses and uphold their standards; and MSIs do not offer access to effective remedy.
Almost a third of the 40 MSIs examined in the study did not have any grievance mechanisms for workers or communities to directly report abuses or resolve complaints. Of those that did, nearly all failed to meet the internationally recognized criteria for effective access to remedy established by the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, such as being transparent, accessible and equitable.
This section includes examples of multi-stakeholder initiatives that include complaint channels for business-related human rights or environmental harms.
Where a publicly available route for submitting a complaint exists, this section includes information on how to access it.
In some cases, the route to submit a complaint is only accessible through specific companies or other stakeholders, or to particular groups of workers, communities or other affected people. Other initiatives, such as the proposed grievance mechanism in the cocoa sector in Côte d’Ivoire, are under development or being tested and are therefore not yet available.
Examples
Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) - Complaints System
The RSPO Complaints System addresses grievances against RSPO Members accused of violating RSPO rules, standards, or commitments, including human rights, workers’ rights, and the rights of local communities. After a complaint is reviewed by the RSPO secretariat and accepted, those who have filed the complaint have the option to participate in mediation with the company or continue with an investigation and decision by the Complaints Panel. The Complaints Panel’s decision can be appealed once.
The RSPO Complaints System has handled over 100 complaints. One ruling resulted in the return of almost 6,000 hectares of land back to the Talang Parit Indigenous groups.
The RSPO Complaints System form can be accessed online, or the Complaints form can be downloaded and submitted via email to [email protected].
Fair Wear Grievance Mechanism
The Fair Wear Grievance Mechanism addresses human rights complaints in the supply chains of Fair Wear member brands. It covers around over 90 brands in the garment, textile, and footwear industries. Complaints can concern current Tier 1 suppliers or suppliers that were used by member brands within the past 180 days. Tier 1 suppliers are factories or companies that directly produce finished products for a brand.
The mechanism covers issues related to the Fair Wear Code of Labour Practices, including various labour and human rights concerns.
The Fair Wear Grievance Mechanism has handled over 1,000 complaints, filed by workers and stakeholders. The highest number of complaints were filed in Bangladesh, followed by Myanmar. The three most frequent types of complaints were related to living wages, legally binding employment relationships, and reasonable working hours.
The Fair Wear Grievance Mechanism can be accessed through a hotline in active countries (as of 3 September 2026, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, North Macedonia, Romania, Tunisia, and Türkiye). In non-active countries, grievances can still be received via email at [email protected].
Fair Labour Association – Third Party Complaints
The Fair Labour Association’s Third Party Complaint procedure addresses reports by any person, group, or organisation in facilities used by any company committed to the Fair Labour Association’s labour standards, including collegiate licensee affiliates and various college/university institutions. The complaints can be filed in several languages, including English, Español, Français, Bahasa, اُردُو, Türkçe, عربي, Tiếng Việt, 汉语, and Português.
The Fair Labour Association’s Third Party Complaint procedure has handled over 50 complaints.
Rainforest Alliance – Grievances and Appeals
The Rainforest Alliance’s Grievances and Appeals Mechanism addresses complaints against members (producers or supply chain actors), a certification body, or against the Rainforest Alliance itself for failing to comply with the Rainforest Alliance’s certification standards or potential or actual instances of corruption and misrepresentation of the Rainforest Alliance’s Certification Program and its trademarks.
Bonsucro Grievance Mechanism
The Bonsucro Grievance Mechanism addresses complaints against Bonsucro members for breaches of their Code of Conduct and Code of Conduct Implementation Guidelines, applicable certification standards, or other approved codes or agreements made by Bonsucro.
The Bonsucro Grievance Mechanism has handled at least three complaints.
Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) - Complaints Mechanism
The ASI Complaints Mechanism addresses grievances against ASI members or auditors that relate to ASI’s standards setting processes, certification program, auditor conduct or ASI policies and procedures.
The ASI Complaints Mechanism in 2025 handled 46 complaints, of which 32 were accepted for investigation. The topic of these complaints centred around how certification bodies handled investigations, failed to detect environmental damage, or planned their audits.
The ASI Complaints Mechanism can be accessed
- online through an online webpage or by
- submitting the Complaints Form in Appendix 1 in this document to [email protected] or
- through post to: SI Complaints Officer, PO Box 4061, Balwyn East, VIC 3103, AUSTRALIA.
Questions about the mechanism can be made to [email protected] or [email protected] or by phone at +61 3 9857 8008.
Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) Feedback and Complaints system
The IRMA Feedback and Complaints system addresses grievances on all IRMA activities, including feedback on the independent assessments of mining operations, and the Standard for Responsible Mining.
The IRMA Feedback and Complaints system can be accessed through online form
- via email to [email protected],
- via WhatsApp by text or voice at +1.301.202.1445, or
- via post at 600 1st Ave Ste 330 #74985 Seattle WA 98104 United States.
2. Civil society complaint tools
Developed independently by civil society organisations to help workers, communities and other affected people raise complaints and document harms.
African Mining Accountability Platform
Africa Mining Accountability Platform (AMAP) is a comprehensive platform designed to monitor and report on various socio-economic and environmental issues, providing users with actionable insights and data-driven reports
Amader Kotha Helpline
The Amader Kotha Helpline is a worker voice and grievance reporting hotline designed primarily for garment workers, enabling anonymous reporting, surveys, and dialogue with brands and factories. Some factories andr brands/retailers have partnered with this toll-free, nationwide hotline.
Contratados
Contratados is platform that allows migrant workers to rate, review, and report labor recruiters, helping prevent recruitment fraud and debt bondage. Promotes transparency in labor recruitment practices.