FMO, the Dutch entrepreneurial development bank, profoundly regrets its involvement as a financier in the Agua Zarca project. We again express our condolences to the family of Ms Berta Cáceres, to her community, and to COPINH, and we recognise the enduring impact this case has on affected communities. The murder of Berta Cáceres in 2016 is a dark chapter in FMO’s history, if we had known then what we know today, we would have made different choices.

In the years since Agua Zarca, FMO has taken concrete steps to strengthen governance – especially regarding human rights and human rights defenders, due diligence and oversight, to prevent such a tragedy from ever occurring again in connection with projects we finance. These measures include:

• Improvements to FMO’s Sustainability Policy Framework.
• A significantly expanded environmental and social (E&S) department, including specialised human rights expertise.
• A strengthened Know Your Customer (KYC) function, which is now one of FMO’s largest departments.
• More comprehensive contextual analyses and enhanced due diligence on community support for projects, including the assessment of FPIC where required.
• The opening of local offices to deepen our understanding of local contexts and improve ongoing engagement and monitoring.

FMO acknowledges the important work of the Interdisciplinary Group of Independent Experts (GIEI) Honduras and supports the establishment of a Berta Cáceres Reparations Fund. We remain committed to exploring how we can contribute to such a program.