By Dr. Abel Léon Kalambay General Secretary for Environment / 1 DRC

1. Theme 6: Enhancing GEF coordination, consultation, and outreach activities in DRC Subregional GEF Workshop for West and Central African Countries in Dakar, Senegal, 21-23 May 2007) By Dr. Abel Léon Kalambay General Secretary for Environment /1 DRC

2. Contents • Background • Key Actors • Main Accomplishments • Constraints encountered • Lessons learnt • Conclusion & Recommendations

3. Background • DRC ratification of the three Rio conventions: • 15/11/1994: Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) • 08/12/1994: UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), • 11/09/1997: UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). • 1994: Creation of an Inter-ministerial Committee in charge of coordination and follow-up of Rio decisions • Elaboration of the National Environmental Action Plan (NEAP), • Production of the National Monograph on Biodiversity, • Production of the report on the general status of the national environment, • Priority environmental actions (2006-2011).

4. Background (cont'd) • 1997: Creation of a National Biodiversity Unit • Implementation of the Convention via the formulation of a National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan • Meanwhile, preparation of the Initial National Communication on climate change by the Directorate of Human Settlements and elaboration of specific national reports on desertification by the Inter-ministerial Committee on Environment and Nature Conservation. • Wide variety of entities in charge, hence a scattering of efforts among those three organizations (Biodiversity Unit, Directorate of Human Settlements, Inter-ministerial Committee).

5. Background (cont'd) • December 2001: Creation of a Directorate of Sustainable Development housing the three Rio Conventions’ Focal Points whose assigned tasks fall along the lines of the major GEF thematic areas. • Directorate of Sustainable Development: GEF Operational Focal Point.

6. Key actors involved in the coordination of the Rio Conventions • Governmental coordination entity: Directorate of Sustainable Development, including the GEF OFP, the World Sustainable Development Commission FP and the three Rio Conventions FP’s • Its mandate: (1) Ensure NEAP monitoring; (2) Negotiate NEAP project and programme funding; (3) Ensure implementation of the Rio Conventions and regional commitments made by DRC.

7. Key actors (cont'd) • Private sector : Federation of Congo Enterprises (FEC) and Federation of Wood Industries (FIB). • Both advisory role and participatory role as regards strategies to be developed.

8. Key actors (cont'd) • Parastatals: • ICCN and IJZBC, dealing respectively with in situ and ex situ conservation of biological resources; • INERA, dealing with the development of sustainable production systems while taking into consideration current constraints and future stakes in connection with the three Conventions; • METTLSAT, dealing with collecting data and other information on climate and meteorology.

9. Key actors (cont'd) • NGOs: partners in the implementation of the three Rio Conventions, in view of the guidance they provide targeting the general public. • Universities and research institutions: advisory role in the conduct of specific studies aimed at elaborating strategies to combat or prevent harmful environmental impacts.

10. Results and Accomplishments • Harmonization and programming integration of the various national plans and strategies • Updating of the National Environmental Action Plan (NEAP) • Preparation of the First and Second National Communications on climate change • Updating of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan • Elaboration of the National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA) to mitigate the harmful effects of climate change

11. Results and Accomplishments (cont'd) • Additional enabling activities in the areas of biodiversity and climate change, • Elaboration of the document of the National Programme of Action (NPA) to Combat Desertification, • Elaboration of the National Biosafety Framework, • Preparation of the draft legislation on biotechnology safety

12. Results and Accomplishments (cont'd) • National Capacity Self-Assessment (NCSA) Project: production of three thematic reports on capacity-building for the Rio Conventions, • Project for the rehabilitation of protected areas with the World Bank as IA • Project for the rehabilitation of protected areas with UNDP as IA.

13. Constraints encountered • Complex procedures for project approval and extensive delays in obtaining funding • Difficulty understanding the “incremental cost” concept • Difficulties in connection with harmonization of policies for implementation of the Conventions and complex approval procedures of funding requests submitted to GEF • Insufficient funding levels

14. Constraints encountered (cont'd) • Lack of national policies on access to resources for NGOs, grassroots organizations and private sector, in particular for MSPs and small-scale projects, • Documentation in English • Lack of implementation of National Action Plans (Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, etc.).

15. Constraints encountered (cont'd) • Non-acceptation by Implementing Agencies of project concepts and/or projects developed at national level • Insufficient documentary support to allow effective participation in the coordination process

16. Solutions advocated • Streamlining of project approval procedures and accelerated provision of funding • Specific training on “incremental cost” concept • Capacity-building for harmonization of Rio Conventions implementation policies • Expedited response to funding requests submitted to GEF

17. Solutions advocated (cont'd) • Definition of appropriate policies to enable civil society and the private sector to access medium-size and small-scale funding • Revision of the approval mechanism for project concepts or developed projects with priority granted to those formulated by national institutions

18. Lessons learnt • The creation of a single coordination entity (Directorate of Sustainable Development) promoted synergies between the GEF OFP and the three Conventions FPs, in particular for the submission of ecosystem-level projects covering two or three focal areas in line with GEF objectives. • Establishment of the National GEF Committee in DRC by way of Decree no. 001 of 22 January 2007.

19. Conclusion & Recommendations • Define priority needs for capacity-building (NCSA) • Establishment of a consultation framework (National GEF Committee) and a coordination framework (Directorate of Sustainable Development) • Development of a website at the coordination entity level.

20. Thank you for your kind attention