IFC has an active project in Haiti with Grupo M and its fully owned subsidiary CODEVI, one of the largest garment manufacturing operations in the Central America and Caribbean region. The project supports CODEVI in an expansion program which consists of the construction of a new facility for the assembly of woven garments and the acquisition of specialized machinery for dry garment assembly and processing operations. The project will be undertaken in two new buildings to be constructed on land already owned by Grupo M at CODEVI.

The complaint was submitted to CAO by a local individual on behalf of 174 farmers’ households in the Special Economic Zone of Ouanaminthe. The complaint raises concerns regarding the economic displacement of the complainants due to CODEVI’s construction of their facilities in the Special Economic Zone in 2002. According to the complaint, despite commitments made in a ‘social compensation plan’, they have yet to receive their replacement land and did not obtain adequate compensation for their crops. The complaint also alleges improper waste disposal by CODEVI, leading to pollution.

CAO found the complaint eligible in April 2020 and conducted an assessment of the complaint. During the assessment, the Complainants and the Company agreed to engage in a voluntary dialogue process to try and resolve the dispute. CAO’s assessment report is available in English and Creole under "View Documents" below.