Decision XXVIII/5: The IAI whistleblower policy

The Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) has developed a whistleblower policy to allow employees to report wrongdoing to the Executive Council. The policy provides protections against retaliation for good-faith reporting, outlines a specific timeline for investigation acknowledgments (5 and 15 days), and establishes disciplinary consequences for both retaliators and those who make maliciously false claims.

• The IAI whistleblower policy establishes a mechanism for employees to report perceived wrongdoing, including ethics violations, suspected fraud, discrimination, bullying, sexual harassment, or violations of law and administrative policy, to the Chair of the Executive Council. If the Chair is unavailable, reports should be directed to the 1st or 2nd Vice Chair of the Executive Council.
• The policy guarantees that staff who report violations in good faith or cooperate in investigations will be protected from harassment, retaliation, or adverse employment consequences. Conversely, any staff member who retaliates against a good-faith whistleblower may face disciplinary action, including termination of employment.
• The investigation process requires the Chair of the Executive Council to acknowledge receipt of a report within five business days and provide the complainant with the investigation procedure and timelines within 15 working days. To protect the complainant, the policy allows for working from home if the individual feels threatened or if the complaint involves crimes against the person; in exceptionally serious cases, the Executive Council may suspend the person under investigation with salary and benefits.
• Complaints specifically regarding IAI internal controls, audits, or accounting practices are handled by the IAI Executive Council and the Financial and Administrative Committee, with the Chair of the latter notifying the Executive Council's leadership immediately.
• The policy requires that reports be made in good faith with reasonable grounds. Allegations that are found to be maliciously or knowingly false are classified as serious disciplinary offenses and may result in termination of employment.

APA

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (2021). Decision XXVIII/5: The IAI whistleblower policy. https://archive.iai.int/administrador/assets/images/ckfinder/files/iai-ec-51-7-en.pdf

Chicago

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research. Decision XXVIII/5: The IAI whistleblower policy. 2021. https://archive.iai.int/administrador/assets/images/ckfinder/files/iai-ec-51-7-en.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research |title=Decision XXVIII/5: The IAI whistleblower policy |date=14 May 2021 |url=https://archive.iai.int/administrador/assets/images/ckfinder/files/iai-ec-51-7-en.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{interamericaninstituteforglobalchangeresearch2021decision, author = {{Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}}, title = {{Decision XXVIII/5: The IAI whistleblower policy}}, institution = {Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}, year = {2021}, month = may, url = {https://archive.iai.int/administrador/assets/images/ckfinder/files/iai-ec-51-7-en.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }