Transcript Enhancing GEF Coordination, Consultation and Outreach Activities

Subregional GEF Workshop for West and
Central African Countries
in Dakar, Senegal, 21-23 May 2007)
Theme 6: Enhancing GEF coordination,
consultation, and outreach activities
in DRC
By
Dr. Abel Léon Kalambay
General Secretary for Environment /1 DRC
Contents
 Background
 Key Actors
 Main Accomplishments
 Constraints encountered
 Lessons learnt
 Conclusion & Recommendations
Background
 DRC ratification of the three Rio conventions:
– 15/11/1994: Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
– 08/12/1994: UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC),
– 11/09/1997: UN Convention to Combat Desertification
(UNCCD).
 1994: Creation of an Inter-ministerial Committee in charge
of coordination and follow-up of Rio decisions
– Elaboration of the National Environmental Action Plan (NEAP),
– Production of the National Monograph on Biodiversity,
– Production of the report on the general status of the national
environment,
– Priority environmental actions (2006-2011).
Background (cont'd)
 1997: Creation of a National Biodiversity Unit
– Implementation of the Convention via the formulation of a
National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan
 Meanwhile, preparation of the Initial National
Communication on climate change by the Directorate of
Human Settlements and elaboration of specific national
reports on desertification by the Inter-ministerial Committee
on Environment and Nature Conservation.
 Wide variety of entities in charge, hence a scattering of
efforts among those three organizations (Biodiversity Unit,
Directorate of Human Settlements, Inter-ministerial
Committee).
Background (cont'd)
 December 2001: Creation of a Directorate of
Sustainable Development housing the three Rio
Conventions’ Focal Points whose assigned tasks
fall along the lines of the major GEF thematic
areas.
 Directorate of Sustainable Development: GEF
Operational Focal Point.
Key actors involved in the
coordination of the Rio Conventions
 Governmental coordination entity: Directorate of
Sustainable Development, including the GEF OFP,
the World Sustainable Development Commission
FP and the three Rio Conventions FP’s
• Its mandate: (1) Ensure NEAP monitoring; (2)
Negotiate NEAP project and programme funding; (3)
Ensure implementation of the Rio Conventions and
regional commitments made by DRC.
Key actors (cont'd)
 Private sector : Federation of Congo
Enterprises (FEC) and Federation of Wood
Industries (FIB).
– Both advisory role and participatory role as
regards strategies to be developed.
Key actors (cont'd)
 Parastatals:
– ICCN and IJZBC, dealing respectively with in situ and
ex situ conservation of biological resources;
– INERA, dealing with the development of sustainable
production systems while taking into consideration
current constraints and future stakes in connection with
the three Conventions;
– METTLSAT, dealing with collecting data and other
information on climate and meteorology.
Key actors (cont'd)
 NGOs: partners in the implementation of the three
Rio Conventions, in view of the guidance they
provide targeting the general public.
 Universities and research institutions: advisory
role in the conduct of specific studies aimed at
elaborating strategies to combat or prevent
harmful environmental impacts.
Results and Accomplishments
 Harmonization and programming integration of the
various national plans and strategies
 Updating of the National Environmental Action Plan
(NEAP)
 Preparation of the First and Second National
Communications on climate change
 Updating of the National Biodiversity Strategy and
Action Plan
 Elaboration of the National Adaptation Programme of
Action (NAPA) to mitigate the harmful effects of climate
change
Results and Accomplishments
(cont'd)
 Additional enabling activities in the areas of
biodiversity and climate change,
 Elaboration of the document of the National
Programme of Action (NPA) to Combat
Desertification,
 Elaboration of the National Biosafety
Framework,
 Preparation of the draft legislation on
biotechnology safety
Results and Accomplishments
(cont'd)
 National Capacity Self-Assessment (NCSA)
Project: production of three thematic reports on
capacity-building for the Rio Conventions,
 Project for the rehabilitation of protected areas
with the World Bank as IA
 Project for the rehabilitation of protected areas
with UNDP as IA.
Constraints encountered
 Complex procedures for project approval and
extensive delays in obtaining funding
 Difficulty understanding the “incremental cost”
concept
 Difficulties in connection with harmonization of
policies for implementation of the Conventions
and complex approval procedures of funding
requests submitted to GEF
 Insufficient funding levels
Constraints encountered
(cont'd)
 Lack of national policies on access to resources for
NGOs, grassroots organizations and private sector,
in particular for MSPs and small-scale projects,
 Documentation in English
 Lack of implementation of National Action Plans
(Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification,
etc.).
Constraints encountered
(cont'd)
Non-acceptation by Implementing
Agencies of project concepts and/or
projects developed at national level
Insufficient documentary support to
allow effective participation in the
coordination process
Solutions advocated
 Streamlining of project approval procedures and
accelerated provision of funding
 Specific training on “incremental cost” concept
 Capacity-building for harmonization of Rio
Conventions implementation policies
 Expedited response to funding requests
submitted to GEF
Solutions advocated (cont'd)
 Definition of appropriate policies to enable
civil society and the private sector to access
medium-size and small-scale funding
 Revision of the approval mechanism for project
concepts or developed projects with priority
granted to those formulated by national
institutions
Lessons learnt
 The creation of a single coordination entity
(Directorate of Sustainable Development)
promoted synergies between the GEF OFP and the
three Conventions FPs, in particular for the
submission of ecosystem-level projects covering
two or three focal areas in line with GEF
objectives.
 Establishment of the National GEF Committee
in DRC by way of Decree no. 001 of
22 January 2007.
Conclusion & Recommendations
 Define priority needs for capacity-building
(NCSA)
 Establishment of a consultation framework
(National GEF Committee) and a
coordination framework (Directorate of
Sustainable Development)
 Development of a website at the
coordination entity level.
Thank you
for your kind attention