Instrument on Mercury: 5th session

The 5th session of the “Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to prepare a global legally binding instrument on mercury” (INC-5) will take place in Geneva (Switzerland) from 13-18 January 2013. A note by the Chair (UNEP(DTIE)/Hg/INC.5/2) prepared in consultation with the Bureau, sets out plans and general expectations for the session and serves to assist preparations for the session and "reach a successful conclusion, with the finalization of an ambitious text that best reflects the compromise and positive spirit that has prevailed throughout our negotiations."

In related news, the 43rd GEF Council will be discussing a "Proposed Framework for a Financial Mechanism for the Future Mercury Convention and Draft Operational Program for Mercury" at its meeting from 13-15 November.

 

CMS/COP-10 Outcomes

Delegates to COP-10 adopted 27 resolutions, including on: synergies and partnerships; the future shape of the CMS; budget; enhanced engagement with the Global Environment Facility (GEF); and climate change and migratory species.

41st GEF Council

Meeting from 8-10 November, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Council approved its work programme for the next year and initiated the search for a new CEO. The work programme includes 40 project concepts and nine programmatic approaches amounting to US$516.40 million, including 11 for the biodiversity focal area, eight on climate change, two on international waters, 23 on land degradation, and five on persistent organic pollutants (POPs).
Among administrative decisions, the Council evaluated administrative fees, expenses and project management costs and decided to establish a group of donors and recipients to prepare a proposal to reduce the total cost of the fee structure of GEF projects for the next Council meeting. The Council also approved minimum standards on environmental and social safeguards for GEF Agencies.

Members also discussed strengthening relationships with other conventions and adopted a decision asking the Secretariat to organize a meeting of biodiversity-related conventions with the Secretariat of CBD to facilitate the coordination of their priorities for inclusion in the GEF-6 programming strategy.

Chair's Summary
41st GEF Council Meeting Website

CITES and GEF?

In a statement during the 41st meeting of the GEF Council, John Scanlon, Secretary-General of CITES, highlighted benefits that could result if the GEF were the Convention's financial mechanism.

GEF Report to UNCCD

GEF, acting for the first time as a financial mechanism to UNCCD, presented a report to COP-10 of the Convention highlighting programme and project activities in the focal area of land degradation from July 2009-June 2011, which totals an investment of US$60.6 million.
The decision to act as as a financial mechanism to the UNCCD was taken at the fourth GEF Assembly in May 2010.

GEF Press Release
IISD RS Coverage of UNCCD COP 10
IISD RS Coverage of Fourth GEF Assembly

GEF: Contributions to Rio+20

According to an announcement from GEF, the Facility will undertake a number of activities over the next months prior to UNCSD (Rio+20), including:
- a retrospective analysis on lessons learned from the implementation of recommendations arising from the 1992 Rio Summit, and on the impact of GEF-supported activities over the past 20 years, such as national communications and reports to the Rio Conventions;
- a book highlighting lessons learned from 20 of among the most significant GEF projects carried out since its inception;
- a book on 20 years of energy efficiency investments by GEF; and
- organizing international meetings, workshops and events to promote and foster collaboration among initiatives on UNCSD-related objectives.

GEF: Engaging Indigenous Peoples

A meeting held on 9 August served to launch a consultative process between GEF and indigenous people's representatives, as mandated by the last GEF Council meeting. The aim is to facilitate the participation of indigenous peoples in GEF-funded projects and activities to conserve the global environment and improve their livelihoods.

GEF Press Release

Latin America: New Water Fund

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the Nature Conservancy and the FEMSA Foundation have launched a US$27 million dollar initiative to create water funds, private-public partnerships to protect critical watersheds in Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Brazil, Mexico and other countries.

GEF: Guide for Civil Society

GEF has released a new version of its "A to Z of the GEF for Civil Society Organizations," a guide that describes the it’s structure, partnership and strategic objectives and provides guidance on how civil society organizations can access GEF funding.

GEF: Programme for Desertification and Food Security in Africa

According to IISD Reporting Services, the 40th meeting of the GEF Council, together with the 10th meeting of the Council of the Least Developed Country Fund (LDCF) and Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF), has approved an integrated land-use programme to fund investments to address priorities set by 12 African countries in West Africa and the Sahel.

The new programmatic approach will address desertification and food security in Africa, including through a US$108 million project administered by the World Bank. Further commitments expected by the African Development Bank (AfDB), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and other international donors for related programming are expected to draw close to US$3 billion.

The programme includes the Great Green Wall Initiative, which will create a biological corridor along Burkina Faso, Chad, Ethiopia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Sudan. It also includes Benin, Togo and Ghana, which also have important savannah and forest systems linked to the Sahel/Sahara region.

The goals of the programme are to: expand investment in sustainable land and water management technologies in order to help communities adapt production systems to climate variability and change; improve land use planning; and improve climate and water monitoring network improvements, institutional cooperation within and across countries, and evidence-based policy development.

GEF Press Release

GEF: Nagoya Protocol Fund

The GEF Council, on 26 May, approved the role of the Secretariat as operator of a new voluntary fund to assist developing countries to ratify and implement the Nagoya Protocol under CBD. Japan reaffirmed its pioneer contribution of 1 billion Yen (approximately US$12 million) and additional declarations of support were made by France, Norway and Switzerland. See the decision on Agenda Item 16 in the “Joint Summary of the Chairs”.

GEF: Fund for Implementing Nagoya Protocol

The GEF Council has established a dedicated Trust Fund for the Nagoya Protocol on ABS. The Trust Fund aims at facilitating the early entry into force and implementation of the Nagoya Protocol. [CBD Notification]

SWIOF: 5th Session

The 5th session of the South West Indian Fisheries Commission (SWIOF) took place from 13-16 March 2011, in Male (Maldives). The session included delegates from the region as well as observers from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the World Bank.

GEF Press Release

Consultations on Great Green Wall

UNCCD and GEF co-hosted consultations among government representatives, bilateral and multilateral donors, international financial institutions and other organizations on the Great Green Wall for the Sahara and Sahel Initiative (GGWSSI). The consultations took place in the form of an experts meeting on 18 February, and ministerial consultations on 19 February. Environment ministers and other stakeholders from Burkina Faso, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Sudan participated, and considered how to prioritize financing for the initiative, which is still currently in a design stage. GEF Press Release

Note: The Initiative has not been conceived as a wall made up of trees planted across the Sahara, but rather as a set of cross-sectoral actions and interventions aimed at the conservation and protection of natural resources with a view to achieving development and, particularly, alleviating poverty.

GEF: Endorsement of Biodiversity Projects

Monique Barbut, GEF CEO recently endorsed several biodiversity-related projects focusing on protected areas, biodiversity conservation in production lands and biosafety, taking the last step in GEF approval procedures. GEF Project Website