The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank has approved updates to the institution's Integrated Safeguards System (ISS) on April 12, 2023. Among other changes, the revision clarifies the bank's roles, responsibilities, and accountability to borrowers and clients.

The updates will align the bank more closely with its peers on community health and safety, gender-based violence, and stakeholder engagement in high-risk operations.

Other improvements include strengthening provisions on environmental and social requirements for value chains. Processes for resettlement financing as part of overall project costs and borrower eligibility for bank financial assistance have also been clarified.

The updated ISS would enable the bank to achieve its strategic goals more sustainably and holistically. Additionally, it incorporates responses to challenges experienced with the current ISS. These include fragile and conflict state contexts and the inclusion of pragmatic and risk-based approaches to addressing environmental and social risks, impacts, and opportunities during the lifecycle of bank-supported operations.

The Board approved the first version of the ISS in 2013 and the process for the latest update started in early 2019, involving an independent evaluation exercise and a broad-based consultation with internal and external stakeholders in the bank's regional member countries and non-regional partners.

The updated ISS is expected to go into effect by the first quarter of 2024.

Contact:

African Development Bank Group, [email protected]