FOURTH MEETING FOR THE FIFTH REPLENISHMENT OF RESOURCES OF THE GEF TRUST FUND
WASHINGTON, DC
NOVEMBER 13, 2009

Click here to download this document

SUMMARY OF THE CO-CHAIRS

1. The fourth meeting of Participants for the GEF-5 Replenishment was held at the World Bank headquarters in Washington, DC on November 13, 2009. The meeting was co-chaired by Mr. Axel van Trotsenburg, Vice-President, Concessional Finance and Global Partnerships, World Bank, and Ms. Monique Barbut, CEO and Chairperson, Global Environment Facility.
    
2. GEF Participants warmly welcomed The Russian Federation as a new donor to GEF-5.
    
3. Participants considered the revised GEF-5 Programming and Policy Recommendations Documents, acknowledged the very short time available to revise the documents prior to the meeting, and focused their discussion on the following:
    
   • Country Ownership: Participants reiterated the central importance of country ownership. GEF program support should be based upon - and integrated with - existing national programming and planning processes in countries. 
      
   • Voluntary Business Plans and Steering Committees: Participants stressed that GEF voluntary business plans be defined in line with - and not duplicate - existing country business plans. To ensure that GEF programming is aligned with ongoing country programming, the plans must be voluntary, respect national sovereignty and different national realities. Steering Committees should be voluntary and not impose additional burden. 
      
   • Areas of support: Some participants welcomed the increased emphasis on climate change, while others cautioned against a possible imbalance across focal areas. There was broad agreement on a program for sustainable forest management while there were diverse views on funding it through a set-aside. One Participant supported increased effort on bio-safety, while several supported increased efforts on the small grants program, chemicals (particularly POPs), further exploration of options for private sector engagement beyond the Earth Fund, and the importance of gender considerations. Some Participants expressed support for increased focus on international waters. 
      
   • Focus on Results and Coordination: Participants emphasized the importance of results and indicators, linked to the potential of new agencies, and welcomed the progress made by the Secretariat on the STAR. Participants also expressed support for effective coordination between the GEF Secretariat and Implementing and Executing Agencies.  
      
4. Participants considered a presentation by the Trustee on Financing for GEF-5, illustrating scenarios for increases of 50%, 75% and 100% over the GEF-4 total resource envelope. In addition, the presentation illustrated possible scenarios based on burden-sharing levels from previous replenishments. Participants also noted the significant implications for GEF-5 donors of changes in the values of national currencies since GEF-4.  
    
5. Many Participants expressed concern that increases of approximately 72%, 103% and 140% respectively in new donor funding would be required to achieve these increased programming levels. 
    
6. Participants welcomed the opportunity to consider the scenarios, and requested the Trustee to develop further detailed scenarios using other ranges and alternative illustrative approaches. 
    
7. Next Steps: Recognizing that the UNFCCC COP15 may provide additional guidance regarding the role of the GEF, Participants requested the Secretariat finalize the Policy and Programming documents after COP15, with the expectation of adopting them at the next replenishment meeting. The GEF CEO confirmed that, while the programming document will remain unchanged unless there are significant implications resulting from UNFCCC COP15, the policy recommendations document will be re-organized under the two major reform headings of enhancing country ownership, and improving effectiveness and efficiency. 
    
8. The Trustee will continue bilateral consultations and will circulate scenarios with the objective of assisting Participants in their further deliberations on burden-sharing after the UNFCCC COP15 in Copenhagen, and prior to the next replenishment meeting. The Trustee will also prepare a draft Summary of the Negotiations, for consideration by Participants. 
    
9. The date and venue of the next replenishment meeting will be communicated to Participants in due course. IFAD has offered to host this meeting in February 2010 at their offices in Rome, to finalize the financing of GEF-5. The Trustee will prepare a draft Replenishment Resolution, including indicative burden-sharing scenarios, for distribution to Participants by mid-January.

 Print Friendly