ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL COMMITMENT PLAN (ESCP)

IMPLEMENTATION ARRANGEMENTS

A.

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

a.       Establish and maintain a group with qualified staff and resources to support management of environmental, social, health, and safety (E&S) risks and impacts of the Activities, including:

1.        A responsible person tasked with Environment, Social, Health, and Safety (ESHS) management

2.        One Environmental and one Social specialists (as determined by the capacity assessment to be conducted by the WB).

b.       Enter into collaboration arrangements with the Committee for Environmental Protection under the Government of Tajikistan to provide input on environmental compliance, permits, or national standards, as needed.  

a.   Hire or appoint qualified Environmental and Social specialists within one month of the Effective Date and thereafter maintain these positions throughout the implementation period of the grant-funded activities.

b.   Within one month of effectiveness

State Committee on Investment and State Property Management (SCISPM)

MONITORING AND REPORTING

A

REGULAR REPORTING

Prepare and submit to the Association monitoring reports on the environmental and social (E&S) performance of the Activities, including but not limited to the implementation of the ESCP, status of E&S instruments under preparation, stakeholder engagement activities, log and status of any complaints received.

Submit quarterly reports to the Association during implementation of the Activities, commencing after the signing date of the Agreement. Submit each report to the Association no later than 30 days after the end of each reporting period.

SCISPM

B

INCIDENTS AND ACCIDENTS

Notify the Association of any incident or accident relating to the Activities which has, or is likely to have, a significant adverse effect on the environment, the affected communities, the public or workers, including those resulting in death or significant injury to workers or the public; acts of violence, discrimination or protest; unforeseen impacts to cultural heritage or biodiversity resources; pollution of the environment; dam failure; forced or child labor; displacement without due process (forced eviction); allegations of sexual exploitation or abuse (SEA), or sexual harassment (SH); or disease outbreaks. Provide available details of the incident or accident to the Bank upon request. Arrange for an appropriate review of the incident or accident to establish its immediate, underlying and root causes.

Prepare, agree with the Association, and implement a Corrective Action Plan that sets out the measures and actions to be taken to address the incident or accident and prevent its recurrence.

Notify the Association no later than 48 hours after learning of the incident or accident. Provide available details upon request.

Provide review report and Corrective Action Plan to the Association no later than 10 days following the submission of the initial notice, unless a different timeframe is agreed to in writing by the Association.

SCISPM

ESS 1:  ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL RISKS AND IMPACTS

1.2

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

Ensure that the consultations, preparatory work, studies, capacity building, and training under the Activities included, inter alia:

a.       Environmental and Social Commitment Plan (ESCP)

b.       Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP)

c.        Labor Management Procedures (LMP)

Project-level Environmental and Social Management System acceptable to the Association in accordance with the requirements of ESS 9. The ESMS shall include documents and procedures to ensure that the financing of MSME sub-projects complies with the ESMS and the elements of ESS9  referred to in action 9.1  below.

d.       Support to implementation and administrative management of the Activities

are carried out in accordance with the terms of reference (ToRs) as agreed with the Association, that are consistent with the ESSs and relevant WB Performance Standards. Thereafter ensure that the output of such activities comply with the terms of reference.

Throughout implementation of the Activities.  

SCISPM

ESS 2:  LABOR AND WORKING CONDITIONS 

2

LABOR MANAGEMENT PROCEDURES

Ensure that workers are engaged in the implementation of the Activities consistent with ESS2.

To this end, ensure that the following measures are carried out:

a)       Provide workers with information and documentation that is clear and understandable regarding their terms and conditions of employment through written contracts setting out their rights, including, inter alia, rights related to hours of work, wages, overtime, compensation and benefits, as well as written notice of termination of employment, and details of severance payments, as applicable;

b)      Implement occupational health and safety (including personal protective equipment, and emergency preparedness and response) measures, taking into account the General Environmental, Health and Safety Guidelines (EHSGs), and other relevant Good International Industry Practice (GIIP) and, as appropriate, the industry-specific EHSGs and other Good International Industry Practice (GIIP);

c)       Implement measures, as applicable, to, inter alia: (i) prevent the use of all forms of forced labor and child labor; (ii) enable workers to benefit from, inter alia, access to grievance and redress mechanisms without fear of retaliation; and effective freedom to form and join workers organizations or alternative mechanisms for expressing their concerns and protect their rights related to labor and working conditions;

d)      Develop a code of conduct for workers, which shall include measures to prevent and respond to SEA and SH cases;

e)      Incorporate the relevant requirements above in the E&S specifications of the procurement documents and contracts with third parties that engage workers in the implementation of the Activities;

f)        Incorporate the relevant requirements above, and any others that, in the judgement of the Association, are required to ensure consistency with ESS, in the E&S specifications of the procurement documents and contracts with third parties that engage workers in the implementation of the Activities.

Carry out the measures throughout the implementation of the Activities

SCISPM

ESS 3 to ESS8

3

Relevant aspects of these standards shall be considered in the technical assistance activities under action 1.2. above, as relevant.

Same timeframe as for action 1.2.

SCISPM

 ESS9: FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES

ESS 9.1

ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL RISK MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

The ESMS supported under the grant shall be designed and put in place for the main project by the end of the Calendar Year 2026  to ensure that the PIU and each PFI receiving funding under the Project develop, maintain and implement an ESMS to identify, assess, manage and monitor environmental and social risks and impacts of sub-projects supported by the Project that is acceptable to the Association in accordance with the requirements of ESS 9). The ESMS shall include documents and procedures to ensure that the financing of MSME sub-projects complies with the ESMS and  consistent with ESS9,,  applicable national legislation as confirmed by the Association. The ESMSs shall include, but not be limited to, the following elements:

•             Identification of the sub-projects financed activities that may receive support from the Project

•             An environmental and social policy endorsed by senior management, consistent with the ESSs.

•             Environmental and social procedures for the identification, assessment and management of the environmental and social risks and impacts of subprojects financed activities, including, inter alia, the following:

(a)          Screening of all proposed sub-projects and financed activities to Eligible MSME  under the Project.

(b)          Screening, review and classification of sub-projects under the Project according to their potential socio-economic risks and impacts.

(c)          All sub-projects under the Project shall be assessed, prepared and implemented in accordance with the Financing Agreement, the Project Manuals; the national legal requirements as confirmed by the Association and relevant ESS requirements.

(d)          Ensure that all measures necessary to implement the requirements in (c) above are provided for in the PFI Agreement between the PFI and the MSME Agreement between the PFI  and Eligible  MSME.

(e)          Monitor, maintain and regularly update socio-economic data on sub-projects under the Project.

(f)           Monitor the socio-economic risk of the sub-projects financed under the Project.

(g)          Incidents and accidents notification and subsequent reporting requirements.

(h)          An external communications mechanism, including measures to respond to public enquiries and concerns in a timely manner.

(i)           An organizational capacity and competency for implementing the ESMS with clearly defined roles and responsibilities.

(j)           Monitoring and reporting of environmental and performance of subprojects and the effectiveness of the ESMS.

(k)          Designate a senior management representative to have overall accountability for environmental and social performance of the sub-projects, bond issuance and equity investments that receive support from the Project.

Same timeframe as for action 1.2

SCISPM

ESS 10: STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT AND INFORMATION DISCLOSURE

10.1

STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT AND INFORMATION DISCLOSURE

Incorporate stakeholder engagement and information disclosure measures in the implementation of the Activities, in a manner consistent with ESS10.

To this end, ensure that the following measures are implemented:

a)       Provide stakeholders with information about the environmental and social risks and impacts of the Activities in a timely, understandable, accessible and appropriate manner and format, including but not limited to any environmental and social instruments prepared as part of the Activities

b)      Consult stakeholders in a culturally appropriate manner, which is free of manipulation, interference, coercion, discrimination and intimidation, including with regards to any environmental and social instruments prepared as part of the Activities;

c)       Document the stakeholder engagement activities, including: (i) stakeholder mapping; (ii) description of consultations and participation mechanisms utilized, and records of meetings held; (ii) feedback received and responses to said feedback; and (iv) measures to engage stakeholders who, because of their circumstances, may be disadvantaged or vulnerable;

Implement the stakeholder engagement activities throughout the implementation of the Activities.

SCISPM

10.2

GRIEVANCE MANAGEMENT

Receive and facilitate resolution of concerns and grievances in relation to the Activities, promptly and effectively, in a transparent manner that is culturally appropriate and readily accessible to all parties affected by the Activities, at no cost and without retribution, including concerns and grievances filed anonymously, in a manner consistent with ESS10.

Throughout the implementation of the Activities.

SCISPM