38428 Public Disclosure Authorized November 2006 I. A Letter from the CEO II. GEF Council Meeting III. Third GEF Assembly - A Retrospective a. UNDP view of Assembly b. Overview of the IYDD Forum c. Overview of the NGO Forum d. Evaluation Office e. Roundtables Public Disclosure Authorized 1. Market-Based Mechanisms 2. Mitigation and Adaptation 3. National Priorities and RAF IV. Climate Change COP12 in Nairobi V. Fourth Replenishment VI. Update on RAF VII. New Focal Points/Council Members VIII. Announcements IX. Obituary Public Disclosure Authorized I. A Letter from the CEO Monique Barbut Dear Colleague: It is a pleasure to be addressing you for the first time in “Talking Points,” the newsletter of the GEF family. I look forward to many more opportunities in the months ahead. A large portion of this newsletter reports on the Third GEF Assembly that was held in Cape Town, South Africa, August 29-30, 2006. Although a summary of the Assembly was published and there were extensive reports in the media, we thought readers who were unable to join us would appreciate getting a bird’s eye view of the events in Cape Town. Public Disclosure Authorized I am pleased to report excellent progress on substantive issues that are of strategic importance to the GEF. For example, at a special meeting, the GEF Council endorsed the fourth replenishment of the GEF Trust Fund to the tune of $3.13 billion, the biggest replenishment ever in the GEF’s history. In doing so, the Council marked a new era for the GEF and I am fully committed to enhancing the GEF’s effectiveness and increasing its impacts with respect to implementation of the international environmental agreements. The Assembly itself was hugely successful, thanks also to the superb arrangements made by our host country, the Government of South Africa. We were delighted that the Assembly was opened by H.E. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Deputy President, and that other South African dignitaries took an active part in the proceedings. As many of you will know, the GEF has begun implementing the new Resource Allocation Framework (RAF) for the biodiversity and climate change focal areas. At the time of writing, the 12th Conference of Parties of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change is taking place in Nairobi, Kenya. The GEF and its partners have participated in the proceedings, working to highlight the development challenges posed by climate change and the need to urgently accelerate adaptation and mitigation measures. In addition, we are preparing for the next meeting of the GEF Council to be held December 5-9, 2006 in Washington, DC. A detailed agenda is included in this newsletter. I look forward to maintaining contact through this column. I hope you find “Talking Points” to be a useful source of information about the GEF family, and as always, feedback is welcome. I encourage you to share your thoughts with us at [email protected] With best wishes, Monique Barbut CEO and Chairperson Global Environment Facility II.GEF December Council Meeting Highlights of Upcoming GEF Council Meeting The next meeting of the GEF Council is scheduled to be held December 5-8, 2006 in Washington, DC. An NGO consultation will be held on December 4, 2006. The Provisional Agenda includes: 1. Opening of the meeting 2. Election of a Chairperson 3. Adoption of the agenda 4. Statement by the Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC 5. STAP 6. Incremental cost evaluation 7. Evaluation of experience with Executing Agencies 8. Evaluation Office progress report 9. Evaluation of GEF project cycle and modalities 10. Rules, procedures and objective criteria for project selection, pipeline management and cancellation policy 11. Results management framework 12. Strategies for focal areas 13. Work program 14. Business plan 15. Procedures for approval of sub-projects under larger projects and programs 16. Implications of amending the Instrument to reflect the designation of the GEF as a financial mechanism of the UNCCD 17. Strategy for financing biosafety and management response 18. Roles and comparative advantages of the GEF Implementing Agencies 19. Report on project data reconciliation 20. Review of financial statements 21. Progress report on the implementation of the RAF 22. Other business 23. Joint summary of the Chairs Brief Highlights of Selected Agenda Items Rules, Procedures and Objective Criteria for Project Selection, Pipeline Management, Approval of Sub-Projects, and Cancellation Policy (GEF/C.30/3) One of the policy recommendations from the negotiations associated with the Fourth Replenishment of the GEF Trust Fund, requests the Secretariat to develop “clear rules, procedures and objective criteria for project selection and management of the pipeline, including a policy for cancellation of projects.” At the August 28, 2006 Council meeting, the GEF Council requested the Secretariat to prepare a policy paper for consideration at the December 2006 meeting, clarifying the procedures to be followed for the approval of sub-projects developed under larger programs and umbrella projects approved by the Council. Progress Report on the Development of the Results Based Management Framework (GEF/C.30/5) The policy recommendations for the Fourth Replenishment of the GEF Trust Fund also requested the GEF Secretariat, GEF Agencies and the GEF Evaluation Office to develop, in consultation with recipient countries, a set of common quantitative and qualitative indicators and tracking tools for each focal area, to be used consistently in all projects, with a view to facilitating aggregation of results at the country and program levels as well as assessment of GEF’s transformational impact. A complete results management framework which addresses quality at entry of project proposals, mid-term and end replenishment targets, and reporting on results of complete projects, will be presented for Council discussion. Legal, Operational and Financial Implications of an Amendment of the GEF Instrument to Reflect the Designation of the GEF as a Financial Mechanism of the UNCCD (GEF/C.30/7) A proposal for an amendment of GEF Instrument to reflect the designation of the GEF as a financial mechanism of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification will be presented to the Council. The Council shall consider and approve arrangements to facilitate collaboration between the GEF and the UNCCD. Pending the formal approval of the proposed amendment to the Instrument and recognizing the operational and financial implications of the amendment as described in document GEF/C.30/7, it is proposed that the GEF Secretariat and the GEF agencies implement the amendment in good faith pending a formal adoption by the next Assembly. III. Third GEF Assembly – A Photo Montage The Third GEF Assembly was held in historic Cape Town, the “Mother City” of South Africa. The Government of South Africa, the Provincial Government, Ministry of Finance, and the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism were wonderful hosts of the Assembly. The Assembly was chaired by His Excellency, Trevor Manuel, Minister of Finance for the Republic of South Africa. The Vice-Chairs were Anne Stenhammer, State Secretary, Norway, and Roberto Dobles Mora, Minister of Environment, Costa Rica. The Assembly was gaveled to a close on August 30, 2006. Read Chairman’s summary Photo 1 H.E. Ms. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Deputy President, delivered the opening address to a packed auditorium at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. Her main message: Environmental issues are people issues. She urged participants to “demystify the issues of environment,” and do all that they can to “show that ordinary people, particularly the rural poor, have a role to play in ensuring that our environment is protected and to promote good practices when it comes to environmental issues.” Photo 2 H.E. Tasneem Essop, H.E. Trevor Manuel, H.E. Ebrahim Rasool, the Deputy President and Monique Barbut, GEF CEO at the opening ceremony. Photo 3 The VIPs played a “Limpopo River Game” with children from the Cape Town Area. Basically, an awareness-raising game, it allows children (and adults!) to acquire greater knowledge about flooding and helps communities to better cope with the ravages of floods that affect the entire southern African region. Photo 4 A colorful cultural program was the highlight of the opening ceremony. Photo 5 The Third GEF Assembly provided an excellent opportunity to raise awareness of key global environmental challenges and the need for concerted actions to address them. GEF and its partners set up over 30 booths, packed with information for the benefit of Assembly participants. Photo 5a Monique Barbut, GEF CEO paid a visit to the booths (seen here with Dr. Xie Fie in front of the China Booth.) Photo 6 Cape Town is home to the famed “fynbos biome,” and the wonderful flowers of the protea family. Photo 7 Over 150 volunteers from South Africa were the lifeline of the Assembly, accomplishing myriad tasks, and making Assembly participants feel right at home. In the press of things, as the Assembly closed and everybody heaved a sigh of relief, there was time for one quick ‘unscripted’ group photo with Monique Barbut, GEF CEO. Photo 8 Media interest in the Third GEF Assembly was high, and the various events received wide coverage in print, broadcast, and online media. At the closing press conference, over 30 journalists were briefed. The press conference was chaired by H.E. Trevor Manuel, Minister of Finance, South Africa (L to R: Frank Pinto, UNDP; Steen Jorgensen, World Bank; Achim Steiner, UNEP; Monique Barbut, GEF; Minister Manuel; H.E. Marthinus van Schalkwyk, Minister of Environment, South Africa, and Nick Nuttal, UNEP). “Talking Points” acknowledges photo contributions from Bruce Sutherland. III.a. UNDP view of Assembly Frank Pinto Executive Coordinator, UNDP-GEF Time seems to have flown by since the Third GEF Assembly in Cape Town, and before memories recede, it is useful to pause and reflect on that very successful event.