Having considered the recommendation of the Ethics and Finance Committee, the Adaptation Fund Board decided to:

(a) Request the secretariat to present a proposal for an investigative procedure for consideration at the next EFC meeting, including the cost implications of implementing such proposal and taking into account any possible conflict of interest;

(b) Instruct the secretariat that the procedure should contain the following elements:

(i) Establishment of a specific function to carry out investigations (option a) or b) above);

(ii) Adequate mandate to initiate, undertake and complete an investigation to address cases of corruption/mismanagement of funds that may have occurred in the context of project/programme preparation and implementation;

(iii) The outcome of an investigation will be shared with the relevant Party so that the process at the domestic level is initiated. The process will establish the nature of the communications related to the case under investigation;

(iv) The EFC will consider the outcome of the investigation and subsequently forward a recommendation to the Board for a decision;

(v) The procedure shall clearly establish the steps to take pending the outcome of an investigation and in the event that the case of corruption/mismanagement is proven.

(c) Pending the establishment of an investigative procedure, request the secretariat to:

(i) Include information on the Fund’s website about the mechanisms for handling complaints about accredited Implementing Entities and the possibility to communicate directly with the secretariat;

(ii) Assign one of its staff members the task of receiving complaints related to project implementation on a temporary basis until the investigative mechanism is fully established.