16 May 2014: The Global Mechanism (GM) and Secretariat of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) have held a series of workshops to inform participants on the reporting system of the Convention and to discuss opportunities to promote its implementation through a regional resource mobilization strategy for Pacific Island Countries (PICs).

Twenty-five participants from twelve PICS and international partners, including the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), and the European Commission, attended the event, which convened from 12-16 May 2014, in Nadi, Fiji.

In his opening remarks, Jean-Marc Sinnassamy, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Secretariat, stressed the importance for PICS to submit reports so that the UNCCD can register their presence and “analyze and propose appropriate recommendations and concrete actions” to respond to their needs. He explained that, as an operating financing mechanism, the GEF holds capacity building workshops under its Global Support Project and provides financial support for individual affected countries. Sinnassamy said that the GEF has, for the first time, received guidance from the UNCCD on enabling activities under the Facility’s current replenishment cycle, GEF5 (2010-2014), including “guidance to support the alignment of each National Action Program with the 10-year strategy of the UNCCD as well as the annual national report.”

Participants were told that although GEF5 is nearing its completion, the GEF is still finalizing individual requests, as well as an umbrella project for enabling activities in the Pacific region. Seven national capacity development projects and two regional projects amounting to $9.38 million have been funded in the Pacific under GEF5. The workshops were held with financial support from the GEF and the European Commission. [GEF Press Release] [GEF Open Remarks]