The Secretariats of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and Global Environment Facility (GEF) have met at a joint-retreat to discuss collaborative strategies to support Party obligations under the Convention, following discussions at the Eleventh Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 11) to the UNCCD, held in Windhoek, Namibia from 16-27 September 2013.
13 December 2013: The Secretariats of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and Global Environment Facility (GEF) met for a joint-retreat to discuss collaborative strategies to support Party obligations under the Convention, following discussions at the eleventh session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 11) to the UNCCD, held in Windhoek, Namibia from 16-27 September 2013. The UNCCD Secretariat, led by Executive Secretary Monique Barbut, hosted the retreat in Bonn, Germany. They were joined by the GEF CEO and Chairperson, Naoko Ishii, and delegations from the GEF Secretariat and Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel (STAP).
The retreat considered the benefit of consolidating GEF support, in particular support from GEF’s Land Degradation Focal Area, to help Parties meet their obligations to the Convention in two areas: the reporting and review process, and the alignment of National Action Programs (NAPs) with the UNCCD 10-Year Strategy. Discussions also considered: progress indicators for the 2016 reporting cycle; progress with the GEF-6 replenishment; and proposals for Integrated Approach Programs, including one on Fostering Sustainability and Resilience for Food Security in Africa. [GEF Press Release] [IISD RS Story on UNCCD COP 11]