15 December 2011: A draft proposal for an enabling activities umbrella project has been posted on the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) website.

The proposal follows from a decision taken at the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 10) (decision 11/COP.10) that urged parties to access Global Environment Facility (GEF) funding available for enabling activities, in accordance with GEF procedures, to meet their reporting and alignment obligations under the Convention in one of three ways: through a GEF agency; through direct access; or through an umbrella project. The draft umbrella proposal to the GEF and information regarding country endorsement of UNEP’s role in the umbrella project has been posted on the UNCCD website. The proposal indicates that the project and UNEP Task Manager will be supported by UNEP-World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC) on a sub-contractual basis.

The proposed project will seek to provide financial and technical assistance to 70 affected country parties for alignment of their National Action Programmes (NAPs) to the ten-year strategic plan of the UNCCD, and for an effective 2012 reporting and review process based on the recently introduced UNCCD Performance Review and Assessment of Implementation System (PRAIS).

Countries desiring to participate in the umbrella project are requested to submit their Letter of Endorsement by 20 December 2011. [UNCCD Webpage Regarding GEF Financing]