27 October 2014: The Global Environment Facility (GEF) Council consultation meeting with civil society organizations (CSOs) gathered approximately 150 participants to focus on four topics: a dialogue with the GEF CEO; gender mainstreaming and public involvement in GEF projects; the work of the GEF-CSO Network; and CSO engagement in the sixth replenishment of the GEF (GEF-6).

The event took place on 27 October 2014, at World Bank headquarters in Washington, DC, US. The day-long CSO Consultation took place immediately before the 47th meeting of the GEF Council, which will convene at the same venue from 28-30 October 2014.

GEF CEO and Chairperson Naoko Ishii stressed that 2015 would be critical to the GEF for three reasons: the ramping up to the global climate agreement; the decisions regarding sustainable development goals for the post-2015 development agenda; and the first year of GEF-6 and GEF2020 Strategy implementation.

Responding to questions, Ishii said: the GEF can share good practices that CSOs suggest regarding how countries involve CSOs in project formulation; the GEF can contribute to the transition to the Green Economy from several entry points, such as work on sustainable cities and energy efficiency; the GEF will share its approach to CSO engagement with the Green Climate Fund (GCF); the Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel (STAP) is very interested in advancing an integrated analysis of transport projects; and private sector involvement is key for the Integrated Approaches in GEF-6.

During the second session, two sub-panels discussed current CSO engagement and gender mainstreaming in GEF projects and processes, including challenges and recommendations for effective engagement. Yoko Watanabe, GEF Secretariat, presented on the Gender Equality Action Plan (GEAP). She noted that donors had requested, during GEF-6, the development of a gender action plan to implement the policy on gender mainstreaming. She reported that actions have included the appointment of a gender focal point (Watanabe herself) and an assessment of gender mainstreaming in GEF Agencies. Harvey Keown, CSO Representative, called the GEAP visionary and outlined CSO recommendations, including suggestions to: integrate GEAP knowledge management and capacity development components; and extend practical capacity development, including at the local level, and ensure adequate budgets for these efforts.

Juha Pyykko, Council Member, Finland, said gender equity should be at the core of the post-2015 development agenda, and suggested that the GEAP could serve as a model for other organizations. He noted a need for further work on how projects are deemed to be gender relevant, and the coordination of indicators among agencies.

Juha Ilari Uitto, GEF Independent Evaluation Office (IEO), reviewed the findings and recommendations on CSO engagement of the IEO’s 5th Overall Performance Study (OPS5). Responding to questions, Uitto said the IEO had recommended a regular review of engagement, perhaps through an annual survey of CSOs, but the Council must direct it to do so. Parish presented the GEF-CSO Network’s review of the GEF Policy on Public Involvement (PIP), including recommendations such as updating the PIP and making it more prescriptive, enhancing access of CSOs to GEF resources, and enhancing CSO capacity to engage in GEF program and project formulation. He noted that at least 50% of CSO comments on the original draft Public Involvement Guidelines had been taken on in the draft now before Council. Leonardo Martinez-Diaz, Council Member for the US, welcomed the work on the Guidelines and suggested that the Council consider an appropriate way to revisit the PIP once the Guidelines are in place. He suggested some agreement might be needed on common indicators.

Two presenters then reported on the work of the GEF-CSO Network. The Network’s Report to GEF Council was presented by Essam Nada, RFP North Africa, and the Network’s Strategic Plan was presented by Victor Kawanga, RFP Southern Africa. GEF Council Member Stefan Marco Schwager, Switzerland, offered a Council perspective, and highlighted that no Council member can deliver the level of knowledge on the ground that the CSO Network can deliver. He noted difficulties in translating the knowledge of the situation on the ground into Council-level discussions, and suggested that there is a need to consider how to make better use of the CSO perspective.

Steve Gold, UNDP, outlined areas for engaging CSOs in GEF-6, including helping CSOs in advocacy, outreach and community mobilization, building local capacities and awareness, identifying and applying indigenous knowledge, and supporting governments to partner with CSOs for public service delivery to vulnerable communities. He also reviewed lessons learned from an assessment of the CSO role in over 100 UNDP projects. Luisa Balbi, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), explained the EBRD’s approach to CSOs based on its emphasis on helping economies in transition and its heavy emphasis on work with the private sector. She said partnerships with CSOs were only begun last year with three pilot projects. Herve LeFeuvre, WWF-US, reviewed WWF-US efforts to build stronger CSO voices for environmental sustainability and development, and its social policies. Rita Mishan, Foundation for Eco-development and Conservation (FUNDAECO), Guatemala, argued that: CSOs should be incorporated more in project formulation and implementation, and their capacities strengthened so that they could follow up and build on GEF projects after they end. Michael Replogle, Institute for Transport and Development Policy (ITDP), lamented the lack of promised follow-up work to the transport project assessment tool ITDP developed with STAP. He outlined the findings of an ITDP study of four GEF projects, which included the need to enhance CSO capacities so that they can be taken more seriously as actors in the public involvement process.

At the end of the day, Faizal Parish, GEF-CSO Network Central Focal Point, briefly summarized the discussions. Patricia Turpin, RFP Caribbean, thanked the Council members who had attended the Consultation. She closed the meeting at 5:20 pm. [IISD RS Coverage of 47th session of the GEF Council and CSO Consultation][GEF Council Consultation with CSOs]