The Conference of the Parties,
Recalling the decisions and elements of decisions related to the financial mechanism that were adopted by the Conference of the Parties from its first to ninth meetings, Having considered recommendation 3/10 of the third meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Review of Implementation,
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Annex
CONSOLIDATED GUIDANCE TO THE FINANCIAL MECHANISM OF THE CONVENTION
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E. Review of the effectiveness of the financial mechanism
1. The review of the effectiveness of the financial mechanism will be conducted every four years and this review should coincide with the meeting of the Conference of the Parties.
2. The Global Environment Facility should take the following action to further improve the effectiveness of the financial mechanism:
2.1 Project procedures
(a) Further streamlining its project cycle with a view to making project preparation simpler, more transparent and more country-driven;
(b) Further simplifying and expediting procedures for approval and implementation, including disbursement, for GEF-funded projects;
(c) Developing policies and procedures that fully comply with the guidance from the Conference of the Parties in a straightforward and timely manner;
(d) Increasing its flexibility to respond to the thematic longer-term programme of work of the Convention on Biological Diversity, in accordance with the guidance of the Conference of the Parties;
(e) Improving the project information system, including through data sets and web-based data tools, to increase the accessibility of project information and allow for better tracking against the guidance from the Conference of the Parties;
(f) Considering the benefits to Parties, particularly small island developing States, of an appropriate balance between national and regional projects in the implementation of decisions of the Conference of the Parties;
2.2 Cofinancing
(a) Mobilizing co-financing and other modes of financing for its projects related to implementation of the Convention;
(b) Support diffusion, and facilitate replication and scaling-up, of new and innovative financing mechanism initiatives that have proved to be successful;
2.3 Incremental costs
(a) Applying in a more flexible, pragmatic and transparent manner the incremental cost principle;
2.4 Compliance and collaboration of agencies
(a) Promoting efforts to ensure that the implementing agencies fully comply with the policy, strategy, programme priorities and eligibility criteria of the Conference of the Parties in their support for countrydriven activities funded by the Global Environment Facility;
(b) Undertaking efforts to improve the efficiency, effectiveness and transparency of the process of cooperation and coordination between the implementing agencies with a view to improving the processing and delivery systems of the Global Environment Facility, and to avoid duplication and parallel processes;
2.5 Country ownership
(a) Promoting genuine country ownership through greater involvement of participant countries in GEF-funded activities; (b) Promoting utilization of regional and local expertise and be flexible to accommodate national priorities and regional needs within the objectives of the Convention;
(c) Encouraging collaboration at national level between national focal points for the Convention, for related environmental agreements and for the Global Environment Facility, including through the projects supported by the Facility, and including through regional and national workshops for the focal points;
2.6 Monitoring and evaluation
(a) Consulting with the Executive Secretary in relevant review processes undertaken by the Global Environment Facility that affect the financial mechanism of the Convention;
(b) Including in its monitoring and evaluation activities the assessment of the compliance with the policy, strategy, programme priorities and eligibility criteria established by the Conference of the Parties;
(c) Elaborating and transmitting to the Conference of the Parties, well-summarized evaluation products and full evaluation reports relevant to biological diversity and to the guidance provided by the Conference of the Parties;
(d) Include in its regular report findings, conclusions and recommendations of all relevant evaluations of the GEF Evaluation Office;
2.7 Small grants programme
(a) Continuing its expansion of the Small Grants Programme of the Global Environment Facility to other developing countries, in particular the least developed countries and the small island developing States;
2.8 Gender
(a) Including gender, indigenous peoples and local communities’ perspectives in the financing of biodiversity and ecosystem services;
2.9 Sustainability
(a) Promoting exchange of experience and lessons learned in addressing sustainability of funded projects on biological diversity.
F. Replenishment of the GEF Trust Fund
The updated list of developed country Parties and other Parties that voluntarily assume the obligations of developed country Parties in accordance with Article 20, paragraph 2 of the Convention, is contained in the annex to decision VIII/18.
G. Inter-Secretariat Cooperation
1. Participation of a representative of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice of the Convention and of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel of the Global Environment Facility is requested in respective meetings of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice and the Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel on a reciprocal basis.
2. The Executive Secretary should promote, in collaboration with the Global Environment Facility, exchange of experience and good practice in financing for biological diversity.
3. The Executive Secretary, the Chief Executive Officer of the Global Environment Facility and the Director of the GEF Evaluation Office are encouraged to continue to strengthen inter-secretariat cooperation. -----
