GEF and the Conventions

1. GEF and the Conventions • GEF Expanded Constituency Workshop • 22 -24 March, 2011 • Kyiv, Ukraine

2. GEF and the conventions • The GEF provides funding to assist developing countries in meeting the objectives of international environmental conventions. • The GEF serves as "financial mechanism" for four conventions: • The Convention on Biological Diversity • The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change • The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification • The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants

3. Biodiversity Focal Area Strategy and CBD COP Guidance

4. Biodiversity Focal Area Strategy and CBD COP Guidance

5. Climate Change Focal Area Strategy and UNFCCC COP Guidance • In response to Convention guidance, the GEF has provided financial and technical support to more than 150 non-Annex I Parties to prepare their initial, second, and, in some cases, third national communications to the Convention. • During GEF-3, the GEF funded a global program to support the second national communications of most eligible countries. • During GEF-5, the GEF will continue to provide finance for national communications • In response to COP decision 2/CP.12, the GEF launched a strategic program during GEF-4 to promote the reduction of GHG emissions from Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) within the climate change focal area. • In GEF-5, the GEF has established the cross-cutting initiative of Sustainable Forest Management (SFM). • At COP13, the GEF was requested to elaborate a strategic program to scale up the level of investment in technology transfer to help developing countries address their needs for environmentally sound technologies – GEF established the Poznan Strategic Program on Technology Transfer

6. Climate Change Adaptation Strategy and UNFCCC COP Guidance • At COP7 in 2001, the UNFCCC asked the GEF to finance adaptation pilot and demonstration projects. • The GEF establish the Strategic Priority on Adaptation (SPA) during GEF-3/GEF-4 under the GEF trust fund in response to guidance from the COP. (e.g. decision 5/CP.7) • COP7 asked the GEF to manage two voluntary adaptation-focused funds, the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF) and the Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF); • The GEF is continuing to fundraise and replenish the LDCF and SCCF in response to Convention guidance and conclusions of the subsidiary bodies of the UNFCCC, (e.g. at the 26th session of the SBI) • The conclusions at SBI 31 have recognized the steps the GEF has taken to enhance the support of the implementation of NAPAs

7. Land Degradation Focal Area Strategy and UNCCD COP Guidance • As a new UNCCD financial mechanism, the GEF is currently clarifying how its land degradation focal area strategy will directly contribute to implementation of the UNCCD, including its ten-year (2008–2018) Strategic Plan and Framework adopted by the eighth COP. • When developing the latest strategy for the land degradation focal area, the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) included a representative of the UNCCD, who provided guidance as the TAG explicitly sought to accept the COP’s invitation to the GEF to take into account this ten year strategic plan and to align its operations accordingly in order to facilitate effective implementation of the Convention

8. POPS Focal Area Strategy and Stockholm Convention Guidance • The GEF POPs strategy responds to guidance adopted by the COP to the Stockholm Convention at its first four meetings. • The latest guidance adopted by the COP at its fourth meeting in May 2009 reaffirms the central guiding principle that the GEF should “take into account the priorities identified by Parties in their implementation plans transmitted to the Conference of the Parties”, and further highlights the preparation and update of NIPs, alternatives to DDT for disease vector control, and information exchange. • The GEF’s mandate as financial mechanism of the Stockholm Convention will require addressing the newly listed chemicals under the Convention.

9. Enabling Activities

10. Direct Access Grants for Convention Reports: ActivityImplementation Process

11. Thank you