GEF Ecpanded Facility Workshop - Caribbean

During the period of March 1-4, 2016 the Global Environment Facility - Expanded Constituency Workshop (GEF-GCW) was conducted at the Radisson Hotel, Port-of-Spain. There were over 130 registered participants and facilitators at the Workshop. Its intention was to enrich the GEF focal points and other key stakeholders, including civil society, through information sharing and training as well as discussions that will contribute to the shaping of GEF-7 (seventh replenishment of the Global Environment Facility Trust Fund).

Day 1 (March 1st) concentrated on CSO consultations in the morning while the afternoon period focused on consultations with GEF Small Grants Programme (Trinidad and Tobago) as well as CSOs, the operational focal (Environmental Management Authority) and the Political Focal Point (Ministry of Planning and Development). Mr. Kishan Kumarsingh (Head, Multilateral Environmental Agreements Unit) and Mr. Javed Lakhan (Environmental Policy Analyst) represented the Ministry of Planning and Development at these sessions.

 

On March 2nd and 3rd (Day 2), GEF focal points, focal points from the main Conventions (Biodiversity, Land Degradation, Climate Change and Persistent Organic Pollutants), representatives from civil society and representatives from the GEF Secretariat and the GEF Agencies met with colleagues from other countries in the region, and other GEF partners to discuss and review policies and procedures, to share lessons and experiences from the development and implementation of GEF projects and their  integration within national policy frameworks. Staff of the Environmental Policy and Planning Division who follow MEA matters represented the Ministry of Planning and Development at these sessions.

Staff of the EPPD and other delegates from Trinidad and Tobago.

The Workshop included an insightful day of training from the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) on Project Management; as well as providing information on Knowledge Management, and how GEF projects support the Sustainable Development Goals, Monitoring and Evaluation and Results-based management.

Day 3 Team including Ms. Amoroso (EPPD) after completing their Project Management exercise from UNOPS.

The final day of the Workshop consisted of a site visit to a past recipient of the GEF-Small Grants Programme (GEF-SGP) in Trinidad, the Asa Wright Nature Centre (AWNC). The day’s activities included welcome remarks and a presentation of the AWNC GEF-SGP’s project, along with an interactive Nature Walk with participatory activities highlighting key ideas and concepts in Knowledge Management and Project Management.  

Opening remarks from GEF at the start of Day 4 at the AWNC

Participatory activities based on the principles of Project Management as delegates tour GEF SGP grant recepient AWNC.

 

13th Session of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the UNCCD

The thirteenth (13th) Session of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC 13) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) took place from the 25-27 March, 3015 in Bonn, Germany. CRIC 13 was preceded in Bonn by meetings of the Regional Implementation Annexes, from the 23-24 March, 2015. 

A bird’s eye view of the dais during the discussion on “Formulation, revision and implementation of action programmes in view of the post-2015 sustainable development framework”  Photo credit: IISD Reporting Services ( March 26, 2015)

Delegates included representatives from governments, intergovernmental organizations and civil society organizations, attended the meeting. Trinidad and Tobago was represented Mr. Julius Smith, Environmental Biologist, Environmental Policy Analyst, Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources.

At CRIC 13, informed  by country reports, other reporting entities and goals of the UNCCD’s Ten Year Strategy (2008-2018), discussions focused on assessing the implementation of the Convention based on five (5) operational  objectives; advocacy, awareness-raising and education; policy framework; science, technology and knowledge; and financing and technology transfer.  Additionally, CRIC participants reviewed financial support for the implementation of the Convention, and implementation of action programmes in view of the post-2015 sustainable development framework.

Of the submitted reports reviewed at the CRIC 13, it was ascertained that there were gaps in implementation which left participants questioning whether the Convention was collecting the right information to instigate further action and whether other tools, could enhance implementation.

Some tools that were suggested included, studies on the costs of inaction in addressing land degradation, enhancing synergies with the Rio Conventions, or adopting a global  target such as land degradation neutrality.

At the end of CRIC 13, a draft report was produced which included recommendations for further consideration at the CRIC 14 and the twelfth (12th) session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNCCD (COP-12) which will take place on October 12 - 23, 2015 in Ankara, Turkey.

 

UNCCD COP 11

The Eleventh Session of the Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP-11) was held Windhoek, Namibia during the period 9 - 27 September, 2013.

The Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago was represented at the  meetings by Mr. Julius Smith, Environmental Biologist, who attended the regional  preparatory meetings, the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC) and the Conference of Parties (COP), along with Ms. Candace Amoroso, Biodiversity Specialist, who attended the Committee on Science and Technology (CST) only.

The objective of the Convention to Combat Desertification is to combat land degradation and desertification and to mitigate the effects of drought by taking effective action at all levels through international cooperation and partnership agreements in order to achieve sustainable development in the affected areas. This year the theme for the COP was “A stronger UNCCD for a Land Degradation Neutral World.” 

Mr. Julius Smith (right) in discussions  with  delegates of the Latin American region at the regional preparatory  meetings for the UNCCD COP-11; Namibia, 2013

Ms. Candace Amoroso at the start of a plenary session at the CST-11; Namibia, 2013.

It was convened at the halfway point of the 10-Year Strategy of the UNCCD (2008-2018), and reviewed the progress made in the implementation of the Strategy of the Convention. Delegates also considered the outcome of the second and preparations for the third UNCCD Scientific Conferences, and reports of the Committee on Science and Technology (CST) and the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC).

 At the end of COP-11 delegates adopted a total of forty-one (41) decisions. Among these decisions, nine (9) were developed by the CST,  twelve (12) recommended by CRIC, and twenty (20) from the Committee of the Whole (COW). 

  >>For more information on the UNCCD COP 11 and the its outcomes visit  ISSD  RS @ UNCCS COP11.