These operating procedures establish the process and guidelines for the operation of the United Nations Environment Programme's (UNEP's) Stakeholder Response Mechanism through an Independent Office for Stakeholder Safeguard-related Response (the IOSSR). The procedures inform and guide UNEP staff, UNEP implementing and executing partners, and people affected by UNEP programmes and projects in bringing and responding to safeguard-related stakeholder concerns in the context of the UNEP Environmental and Social Sustainability Framework (ESSF). The Stakeholder Response Mechanism (SRM) provides affected people the opportunity to seek either compliance review or dispute resolution in regard to activities that UNEP implements or executes as part of its projects and programmes. The SRM serves as a complementary mechanism to local grievance redress processes and mechanisms that are established for UNEP projects and programmes. Local grievance mechanisms are to be the first point of contact for stakeholders who may be adversely affected by a UNEP project or programme. In the event that such concerns are not resolved at the local level, such stakeholders may access UNEP’s SRM.

These guidelines are intended to reinforce the science base and credibility of the UNEP publications and reports through proper citation and attribution, as well as achieve coherence and standardization in the style of UNEP publications. Their objective is to ensure that UNEP respects good practice and legal requirements of professional and ethical writing.

Sustainable management of rivers is essential to maintaining livelihoods, health, biodiversity, economic and food security, and more in the Western Indian Ocean region and beyond. The new Guidelines for the Assessment of Environmental Flows in the Western Indian Ocean Region aim to create a standardized, region-wide approach to conducting environmental flow assessments in rivers with a step-by-step guide to enable learning across the region. The Guidelines, the creation of which was requested by Nairobi Convention states, were developed by the UNEP–Nairobi Convention, the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association and the Sokoine University of Agriculture. They will be used by governments, researchers, civil society, and communities managing water resources.