Compliance Advisor Ombudsman

Complaint

In July 2007, the IFC approved a Category B project with Maple Energy, a privately-held integrated energy company with operations in Peru.  The project will finance the company’s capital expenditure program in the short-to-medium term, which includes drilling and well work-over programs and related activities to extend production of existing hydrocarbon fields; exploration and related activities in hydrocarbon concessions; and development of a greenfield ethanol project.

In April 2010, a complaint was filed with the CAO from local community members of Nuevo Sucre and Canaán in Loreto, Peru with the assistance of national and international NGOs.  The two Indigenous communities are located on the Ucayali River in the lower Ucayali region of Loreto, in proximity to the company’s two mature crude oil producing properties.  The complaint cites several social and environmental concerns, among them negative impacts to the communities’ health and to the environment.

CAO Action
In April 2010, the CAO determined that the complaint was eligible for Ombudsman assessment.  A CAO team travelled to Peru in May 2010 and had conversations with all the relevant parties to understand their different perspectives and explore options for collaborative solutions.  CAO's assessment and next steps will be included in a report and shared with the parties.

Status
The ombudsman assessment is ongoing.