What happens after FNR_Rio?

1. Final Project Implementation Review Workshop and Steering Committee Meeting of the UNEP/GEF Project “Piloting Integrated Processes and Approaches to Facilitate National Reporting to Rio Conventions” (FNR_Rio) 16th November 2013, Nairobi, Kenya What happens after FNR_Rio? Jerry Harrison Head of Conventions and Policy Support, UNEP-WCMC

2. Context for discussion • Amongst other things, the FNR_Rio project was intended to achieve: • Sustainability: More efficient approaches to reporting within the six pilot countries • Replicability: Demonstrated experience relevant to other countries that could be applied elsewhere What happens after FNR_Rio?

3. Context for discussion • It is therefore essential to identify opportunities to enhance the impact of the project through: • Identification of planned and potential follow up activities within pilot countries • Collection and dissemination of lessons learned during project implementation • Identification of further activities that could build upon experience gained through this project What happens after FNR_Rio?

4. Context for discussion • In this regard it is worth also recalling that there is also interest at the international level: • CBD and UNCCD COPs have recognised the value of increased coherence at the national level • At its most recent meeting the GEF Council encouraged discussion of synergies among MEAs • Joint Liaison Group of the Rio Conventions has discussed some of the lessons from this project What happens after FNR_Rio?

5. Context for discussion • The Executive Secretaries of the Rio Conventions have identified three potential areas for follow up: • Support for more effective management and use of data at the national level • Cooperation in improving the quality and reliability of data through harmonising approaches and definitions • Improving the interoperability of tools, platforms and databases that support national reporting What happens after FNR_Rio?

6. Issues for discussion • What are you doing in your country to ensure that the lessons from the project are incorporated into national reporting and implementation in the future? • How can we most effectively communicate the lessons learned to national focal points in other countries, so that your experience can be used and built upon? • If we were planning further projects to build on our experience, what would those projects be, who would they be with, and where would they be located? What happens after FNR_Rio?

7. Follow up activities in pilot countries Experiences and opportunities vary from one country to another, but follow up to date mainly concerns: Implementation of national manuals prepared during project implementation Adjustment of administrative arrangements where necessary (and possible) Increased cooperation, including more regular meeting among national focal points Other benefits arising from training and raised awareness resulting from project activities What happens after FNR_Rio?

8. Communicating the lessons learned Identification of key lessons learned that could usefully be communicated to other countries Compilation of these lessons learnt into a report to be made available to focal points in other countries Communication of this report to MEA secretariats and coordination bodies, and other relevant agencies Presentations during appropriate MEA and other meetings during 2014 What happens after FNR_Rio?

9. Further projects to build on experience • Reviewing how national focal points are cooperating and collaborating, and sharing lessons learned • Developing and testing guidance on the data and information needed for implementation and reporting • Developing and testing online reporting tools that could streamline the preparation of reports • Further consideration of opportunities for creating more coherent approaches to reporting What happens after FNR_Rio?

10. Further projects to build on experience • Further strengthen national focal point teams and their cooperation • Improve collection, management and use of data in reporting and implementation • Supplement this by facilitating better access to data, information and knowledge held outside countries • Encourage a more consistent approach across MEAs in their data and reporting processes What happens after FNR_Rio?

11. Issues for discussion • What lessons learned are most appropriate to other countries, and how can we most effectively communicate them? • What further efforts are needed in pilot countries to build on lessons learned, and to what extent is further technical support needed for this? • What new activities could we develop to build on these experiences in a new ‘phase two’ project with the current pilot countries or others? What happens after FNR_Rio?