"Tip sheet for IFC clients: preventing reprisals during COVID-19 pandemic: Addressing increased reprisals risk in the context of COVID-19", Jun 2020

Reprisals against project stakeholders who voice opinions or opposition to project activities have grown in visibility worldwide, with the potential to be magnified during the COVID-19 pandemic. IFC does not tolerate any retaliatory action by our clients against those who voice their opinion regarding the activities of IFC or our clients, as outlined in our IFC Position Statement on Retaliation... In many cases, company personnel may not be the perpetrator or instigator of reprisals. This doesn’t eliminate the potential negative reputational impacts of reprisals against opponents on the business... Reprisal issues potentially exacerbated during COVID-19: Retaliation against workers for raising concerns about labor practices or health and safety conditions... Increased surveillance used to track… project opponents... Violence… or detention of CSO members expressing project concerns... Stigmatization/xenophobia of community members or workers... Advice for companies to prevent or minimize risk of reprisals: [C]ommunicate no tolerance for retaliation; [A]djust communications methods to reach vulnerable stakeholders;… [C]ompany policies and procedures may be adapted to address the pandemic: use the opportunity to reflect anti-retaliation language,… [U]se emergency preparedness discussions to reinforce the principle of zero-tolerance of retaliation,… [I]ncreased surveillance… may pose security risks…: adapt communications methods,… [In case of g]reater security force presence and risk of violent protests…- encourage public security forces to exercise restraint….; CSO members [may be more] targeted for raising project concerns… during pandemic...: during stakeholder engagement… listen to their concerns…