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On Friday Dec 13 2013, a delegation from the GEF Secretariat travelled to Bonn, Germany for a joint retreat of the UNCCD and GEF Secretariats. The delegation included GEF CEO and Chairperson Naoko Ishii, Gustavo Fonseca (Head of Natural Resources), Claus Pram Astrup (Senior Adviser to the CEO), and Mohamed Bakarr (Coordinator of the Land Degradation Focal Area). The retreat was hosted by the UNCCD Executive Secretary Monique Barbut, and attended by Senior Management Team of the Secretariat. A delegation from the GEF STAP that included Annette Cowie (Panel Member for Land Degradation), Thomas Hammond (Secretary), and Guadalupe Duron (Program Officer) was also in attendance.
The retreat was a follow-up to the recent Eleventh Session of the Conference of Paries to the UNCCD held in Windhoek, Namibia. The agenda was mainly focused on collaboration between the two secretariats for support to affected country Parties on two important obligations under the Convention: reporting and review process, and alignment of National Actions Programs with the UNCCD 10-Year Strategy. Building on GEF financing for enabling activities under the Land Degradation Focal Area, there is an immediate need to consolidate support for all Parties to meet these obligations in a timely fashion. In this regard, the meeting identified additional actions that will increase efficiency and effectiveness of the reporting process for 2014 and facilitate completion of NAP alignment activities by all countries. STAP participation ensured a focused discussion on progress indicators being considered for the 2016 reporting cycle.
The retreat was also a timely opportunity to reflect on progress with GEF-6 replenishment, including outcomes of the Third Meeting that was held in Paris during the same week. The GEF CEO hinted that while negotiations are still ongoing, proposed plans for Integrated Approach Programs, including one on Fostering Sustainability and Resilience for Food Security in Africa," will help to reinforce GEF activities in relation to sustainable land management. In this regard, the potential for increasing synergies between the UNCCD and other Rio Conventions will also be greatly enhanced.