Protectia Mediului

Section I : The Global Environment Facility – Pieces of the Pulzze

Chapter One Orientation—How Do I Use This Guide?

"This guide is intended as a tool to catalyse a more active NGO role in the GEF, encouraging more NGOs, for example, to become involved in implementing GEF projects and advocating more effective GEF policies and decisions."

1. WHY SHOULD NGOs CARE ABOUT THE GEF?

Why should NGOs care about the Global Environment Facility (GEF)? Cutting through the thousands of pages of official GEF documents, the simple answer is this: The GEF could have—and some say already is having—profound impacts on issues that NGOs care deeply about. The GEF is an international funding mechanism, approving hundreds of millions of dollars in grants each year to address the most urgent environmental problems facing humanity, including: climate change, biodiversity loss, ozone depletion and degradation of the world's oceans and international water bodies.

Without question, NGOs have widely divergent views on the utility and effectiveness of the GEF. While some major problems with the GEF have largely overshadowed its successes, NGOs involved in the GEF process seem to agree that the institution does have tremendous potential (see Box 1.1). The GEF is still relatively young with the "jury still out" as to whether it will achieve its objectives over the long-term. Many scenarios are possible. For example:

• GEF funds could be expanded and spent much more effectively, allowing the GEF to play an instrumental role in catalysing long-term solutions to the world's critical environmental problems.

• GEF funds could be largely squandered, with significant adverse social impacts, while having little or no success in so-called mainstreaming of environmental concerns within governments and international agencies, such as the World Bank.

One thing we do know. NGOs have a critical role to play in strengthening the effectiveness of the GEF and shaping its future.

Box 1.1 Existing and Potential Strengths of the GEF

NGOs participating in the GEF process have identified a number of existing and potential strengths where the GEF can deliver the greatest impact in protecting the global environment.

Mainstreaming. The GEF is designed to "mainstream" global environmental concerns into the regular project portfolios and programs of the three GEF "Implementing Agencies" (IAs), the World Bank, the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Environment Programme.

Forging new ground. The GEF provides increased opportunities for NGO input into the policy-making process and for NGO participation in project implementation.

Leveraging. GEF projects generally require co-financing from host governments, the IAs, multilateral development banks, bilateral agencies and/or other funding sources. Thus, the GEF is able to secure or "leverage" additional funds for project implementation.

Innovative financing. The GEF is to include innovative financing options to improve longterm sustainability, the disbursement process for smaller projects, country-driven objectives, etc. These options include national trust funds and small- and medium-scale enterprise funds.

Technology. The GEF can serve as a tool to promote widescale use of new technologies, such as solar energy technologies.

Catalysing new and innovative activities. The GEF can identify and support new, innovative activities, which generally are not covered by traditional development assistance, such as ecotourism.

NGO project funding. NGOs can receive funds from the GEF for developing and implementing projects.

Multilateralism. The GEF provides a tangible example and model for how international environmental problems can be addressed through multilateral cooperation. In addition, the success or failure of the GEF will impact other multilateral processes.

Strengthening international conventions. The GEF helps countries to fulfill their obligations under international agreements such as the Biodiversity and Climate Conventions, and the Montreal Protocol.

National policy changes. Access to and use of GEF funds can promote important policy reforms at the national level.

2. WHAT'S THE PURPOSE OF THIS GUIDE?

This guide is intended as a tool to catalyse a more active NGO role in the GEF, encouraging more NGOs to become involved in implementing GEF projects and advocating more effective GEF policies and decisions. The guide is an update of an earlier version (To: Nani G. Oruga: An NGO Guide to the GEF) and includes a much sharper focus on NGO advocacy around the GEF process and ways in which NGOs involved in field-level activities can "plug in."

3. WHAT'S IN THIS GUIDE?

The GEF is sometimes described as the most complex—and dynamic—international institution addressing environmental issues. This is a user-friendly guide to help NGOs understand the GEF as an institution and a process. The guide avoids GEF jargon whenever possible, and provides clear, simple explanations of these terms, along with concrete examples. The guide provides much of the information in stand-alone formats (e.g., boxes, tables and bulleted lists), allowing readers to find information quickly.

Box 1.2 Opportunities for NGO Participation in the GEF: A Summary

There is a spectrum of NGO views on the GEF and a wide variety of ways to be involved. Some NGOs prefer to stay at arm's length (or further) and comment on its activities; others participate very closely in a variety of GEF-related activities. Often the different strategies can complement each other. Below is a list of some specific categories of activities and targets for NGO participation.

Projects. NGOs can become directly engaged in the development and implementation of GEF-supported projects, including:

• participating in planning meetings with government officials to design new projects;

• commenting on drafts of project proposals; and

• coordinating or implementing specific aspects of funded projects.

Advocacy. NGOs can also play an important advocacy role around the GEF process (e.g., helping to shape GEF policies and priorities). Target areas for such advocacy include:

• Project funding. Decisions to fund (or not fund) proposed projects is a key step in setting GEF priorities and, in effect, setting unofficial but de facto GEF policies.

• Project development. The types and focus of projects developed will reflect priorities and key policy issues at the national level.

• Formal GEF policies. The Council adopts formal policies (see Chapter 2) that influence GEF funding priorities, as well as the GEF process more generally.

• Operational Strategies and Operational Programmes. These two centerpieces of GEF policy (see Chapters 3–7) will be updated periodically.

• Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of GEF performance. The ongoing M&E program has important implications for GEF policy- and priority-setting, and overall effectiveness (see Chapter 9).

• National appropriations. Donor governments are required to appropriate funds committed to the GEF during replenishment. Fulfillment of these commitments is a major area of concern.

The overview presented in this Guide is general in nature, and throughout the text there are references to official GEF and NGO documents that can provide further detail on specific subjects. Relevant documents are cited in the form: GEFDOC #3, where the number corresponds to a specific document in the list of GEF publications in Annex I.

Section I of the guide (Chapters 1–9) provides background on the GEF. Section II (Chapters 10–13) outlines specific ways NGOs can participate in the GEF (see also Box 1.1). Finally, a set of annexes provide additional information for NGOs interested in getting more involved, including lists of relevant publications and contacts. The back page contains an NGO accreditation form for being added to the GEF Secretariat's mailing list and participating as an "NGO delegate" to GEF Council meetings.

Box 1.3 GEF Information on the Internet

An excellent source of additional information is the GEF's Web site at: http://www.worldbank.org/html/gef