National Capacity Self- Assessment for Global Environmental Management (Ncsa)
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NATIONAL FOUNDATION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION NATIONAL CAPACITY SELF- ASSESSMENT FOR GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT (NCSA) United Nations Environment Programme The report has been compiled by the Editing Committee composed of the following members: Beata Ciszewska, Witold Lenart, Wojciech Nowicki, Katarzyna Owczarz, Jarosław Suchożebrski, Andrzej Weigle, on the basis of reports prepared by the Thematic Groups responsible for the analysis of topics related to implementation of the provisions laid down in the individual Global Conventions. 2 CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1Justification of the need for preparing self-assessment for global environmental management in Poland (NCSA) in Poland 1.2 National aims of NCSA preparation 1.3 The process of NCSA preparation 2 IDENTIFICATION OF THE PRIORITY ISSUES 2.1 Present conditions for implementing the Global Conventions by Poland 2.1.2 The existing conditions for observing obligations resulting from the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and Kyoto Protocol 2.1.1.1 External conditions, including those resulting from the Climatic Convention itself and the Kyoto Protocol 2.1.1.2 Internal conditions 2.1.2 The existing conditions for fulfilling the obligations resulting from the Convention of Biological Diversity and Ramsar Convention by Poland 2.1.3 The existing conditions for fulfilling by Poland obligations resulting from the Convention on desertification in countries affected by major droughts and/or desertification, particularly in Africa. 2.2 Identification of the priorities within three thematic fields pertaining to the Global Conventions 2.2.2. Identification of the priorities related to implementation of the UN Framework Convention on climate change (UN FCCC) and Kyoto Protocol 2.2.3. Identification of the priorities related to implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity and Ramsar Convention 3 2.2.3 Identification of the priorities related to implementation of the Convention to combat desertification in countries experiencing serious drought and/or desertification, particularly in Africa. 3. FACTORS DETERMINING IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROVISIONS OF THE THREE GLOBAL CONVENTIONS 3.1 Identified barriers to implementation of the provisions of the three Global Conventions and potential for overcoming them 3.1.1 Barriers to creating conditions for management of implementation of the provisions of the UN Framework Convention on climate change and the Kyoto protocol and the potential for overcoming them 3.1.2 Barriers to providing appropriate conditions for management of fulfilment of provisions set out in the Convention on Biological Diversity and Ramsar Convention and the potential for overcoming them 3.1.3Barriers to providing appropriate conditions for implementation of the provisions laid down in the Convention on desertification in countries affected by major droughts and/or desertification, particularly in Africa and the potential for overcoming them 3.2 Strong and weak points with respect to implementation of the provisions of the three Global Conventions 3.2.1 Strong and weak points with respect to implementation of the provisions of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and Kyoto Protocol 3.2.2 Strong and weak points with respect to implementation of the provisions of the Convention on Biological Diversity and Ramsar Convention 3.2.3 Strong and weak points with regard to implementation of the provisions of the Convention to combat desertification in countries 4 experiencing serious drought and/or desertification, particularly in Africa 3.3 List of the recommended activities aiming at providing favourable conditions for implementation of the three Global Conventions 3.3.1 List of the recommended activities aiming at providing conditions for implementation of the UN Framework Convention of Climate Change (UN FCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol 3.3.2 Summary of the recommended actions aiming at providing favourable conditions for implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity and Ramsar Convention 3.3.3 List of the recommended measures to provide favourable conditions for implementation of the Convention to Combat Desertification in Countries Experiencing Serious Droughts and/or Desertification, particularly in Africa. 4. PROPOSAL FOR ACTIONS CREATING CONDITIONS FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE EFFICIENCY OF COOPERATION OF THE GLOBAL CONVENTIONS IN FULFILLING THE OBLIGATIONS 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Potential for strengthening of cooperation between the Global Conventions 4.3 Proposal for improvement of the structure of management of fulfilment of obligations resulting from the three Global Conventions 4.3.1 General structure of relationships 5 4.3.2 Rights and duties of the National Coordinator 4.3.3 Advisory Team 4.3.4 Financing 4.3.5 Reporting 4.3.6 Legislation 4.3.7 Convention Secretariats 4.3.8 Interdisciplinary Thematic Team 4.3.9 Principles of co-operation 4.3.10 Operational focal points 4.4 Tasks recommended for fulfilment within the identified fields of synergy resulting from the mutual relations between the Global Conventions ANNEX 1 Tasks recommended for fulfilment within the identified fields of synergy resulting from mutual links between the Global Conventions ANNEX 2 List of acronyms 1 INTRODUCTION 6 1.1 Justification of the need for preparing self-assessment for global environmental management in Poland (NCSA) in Poland Poland is a party to the Convention on Biodiversity, UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, and since October 2001, also to UN Convention to Combat Desertification. Except for a relatively small group of specialists, general public are not sufficiently aware of relationships between global problems covered by those conventions. Also, tasks resulting from individual conventions insufficiently cover mutual relationships between the conventions. Identification and understanding of mutual relationships between those conventions, dissemination of that knowledge and also finding ways of co-ordination and harmonisation of various forms of activity related to implementation of the provisions set out in those conventions should ensure improvement in expected effectiveness of activities aiming at sustainable use of the global environment, which are performed in Poland. Experience gained by other countries indicates purposefulness of strengthening co-ordination while developing the environmental policy and then when it is implemented by sectoral authorities at the national level. It applies also to Poland, particularly after its accession to European Union. The necessity for adapting legal regulations and procedures to the EU standards, which pertain to activity in the environment and consequently also develop new habits, skills and extend relevant knowledge at all the levels of environmental management provides a unique chance of making use of NCSA for the process. Making use of national capacity self-assessment for global environment management will also support the process of providing appropriate conditions for the following: - strengthening national procedures for agreeing and implementing the provisions of the above conventions; - integrating national databases and reports related to individual conventions; - strengthening relationships between national reporting and the substantive scope of programmes implemented in relation to those conventions; - developing research and monitoring activities, meeting the needs of more than a single convention; - dissemination of knowledge of global environment integrity; 1.2 National aims of NCSA preparation 7 The main aim of NCSA preparation is to identify priorities and determine needs related to the provision of appropriate conditions for protection of the global environment in Poland. The specific objectives of NCSA preparation include, among others, the following tasks: - identification of priorities related to implementation of the provisions set out in the conventions and referring to global environment management within individual fields: biological diversity, climate change, desertification/Earth surface degradation and wetland conservation; - identification of the relevant needs related to improvement of effectiveness of activities aiming at implementation of the provisions set out in the global environmental conventions; - indicating specific tasks necessary to improve global environmental management. NCSA identifies specific conditions favouring introduction of improvements and development of action plans and projects that will eventually strengthen the general infrastructure of environmental management at the national level. 1.3 The process of NCSA preparation The following actions have been initiated within the framework of NCSA preparation: Organization of supervision and co-ordination of actions related to NCSA preparation: - the procedure of NCSA preparation has been designed so that it can provide authors with extensive substantive support by the Steering Committee for NCSA project execution, which has been established specifically to serve that purpose; - The Steering Committee was composed of representatives of the following institutions and organizations: GEF Political Focal Point, GEF Operational Focal Point, Focal Points for individual Global Conventions, National Foundation for Environmental Protection as a National Executing Agency, Ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development, Infrastructure, Economy, Finance, and Education, State Forests, Agricultural Consulting Centres, Chief Inspectorate for Environmental Protection, Regional Water Management Boards, Provincial