ABN AMRO’s Human Rights Remedy Mechanism

The Human Rights Remedy Mechanism is an ABN AMRO tool for people who believe their human rights have been violated to start a dialogue with ABN AMRO and its corporate clients on grievance and remedy processes when ABN AMRO is, or might be, directly linked to adverse human rights impacts through its corporate clients.Participation in the HRRM is voluntary. The HRRM is designed to reach a consensual solution between all parties involved.

The Human Rights Remedy Mechanism is a structured procedure for submitting, handling and resolving complaints. This includes receiving complaints, assessing their eligibility, involving all parties, assessing the willingness of all parties to participate, developing an understanding of the key issues and views of all parties, bringing parties together for dialogue, and finding appropriate solutions and/or remedies when possible. The process is designed to be fair and accessible to all parties involved. ABN AMRO will work to continuously improve the mechanism based on learning from cases, relevant external developments, and feedback from participants and external stakeholders.

ABN AMRO and the facilitator evaluate submitted cases based on the following eligibility criteria. The case must:

a) be submitted by the person(s) whose human rights have been adversely impacted (‘affected people’) or their nominated representative

b) concern actual or potential adverse human rights impact(s)

c) be connected to ABN AMRO through the bank’s business relationship with a current corporate client  

d) concern an alleged adverse human rights impact that occurred during the time when ABN AMRO was lending to the corporate client

e) be connected to an ABN AMRO Corporate Banking client (these clients are defined in the public procedure) that is registered in the Netherlands.

f) not be vexatious and must not interfere with pending or announced legal proceedings.

Certain cases are ineligible for consideration. Cases brought by organisations that do not explicitly represent the people affected by human rights harms, that do not concern specific human rights harm(s), or that concern adverse impacts that are collective, diffuse and transboundary in nature such as climate change are not eligible. The full list of eligibility criteria for admissible cases is set out in the public procedure.

Complaints can relate to a wide range of human rights issues, but they must concern an alleged adverse human rights impact occurring during a current lending relationship between ABN AMRO and a corporate client. The person(s) whose human rights have allegedly been adversely impacted or their nominated representative (e.g. an NGO or trade union authorised to act on behalf of the person(s)) can submit a complaint. Also, the impact should be connected to a corporate client of ABN AMRO that has a relationship manager at ABN AMRO and is based in the Netherlands.

Person(s) whose human rights have allegedly been adversely impacted or will be adversely impacted (‘potentially affected people’) or their nominated representative (e.g. a civil society organisation, legal representative or trade union duly authorised to act on behalf of the affected person(s)).

The pilot phase of the Human Rights Remedy Mechanism consists of a period of two years (because a dialogue between parties can take up to two years) and is designed to test and refine our approach. Our approach is guided by specific operating procedures (see link to public procedures here) and focuses on our corporate clients. The approach, operating procedures and scope will be evaluated after the first and second years of the pilot and will determine the potential future direction of the Human Rights Remedy Mechanism when the pilot ends.