A GM mission to Lusaka, from 25 June to 7 July 2008 followed up on recent discussions between the GM and Government on how to increase cooperation in support of the implementation of United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in Zambia. The mission was also an opportunity to meet with development partners including the Royal Norwegian and Danish Embassies, the Finnish Embassy, and the Secretariat of the Common Market for East and Southern Africa (COMESA).
The GM has already supported the Government of Zambia in addressing implementation of the UNCCD by:
- mainstreaming Zambia’s National Action Programme (NAP) into broader national planning and development processes such as the Fifth National Development Plan (FNDP); and
- developing a partnership framework to facilitate resource mobilization for the Convention.
Previous co-operation with the Government was therefore reviewed as the basis for renewed partnership through:
- consulting with Government and development partners on UNCCD-related issues and discussions on Government priorities for further support;
- improving understanding of the in-country situation in order to identify options and entry points for resource mobilization, notably through donor alignment and harmonization frameworks such as the Joint Assistance Strategy for Zambia (JASZ);
- identifying potential partners that the GM could work with; and
- discussing a roadmap for the development of a country programme.
Outcomes
Key Government Ministries and agencies, bilateral and multilateral development partners, private sector, research institutions and civil society in the country convened, and their discussions resulted in the following major outcomes:
- agreement was reached with Government on a roadmap for the development of a cooperation programme to support UNCCD implementation;
- innovative sources of financing such as the private sector and the synergistic implementation of the UNCCD and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), were identified;
- potential partnership opportunities through the JASZ framework were pinpointed; and
- options and entry points for resource mobilization notably through the Government’s Environment and Natural Resources Mainstreaming Programme were outlined..
In addition to these accomplishments, the GM and the Secretariat of COMESA met to discuss areas of mutual cooperation in support of the COMESA Climate Initiative. These included:
- jointly brokering partnerships in support of the COMESA Climate Initiative;
- harnessing knowledge and conducting analytical work to optimize the synergies between the UNCCD and the UNFCCC; and
- working together at the country-level on climate change adaptation/mitigation as part of a broad resource mobilization strategy.
Ms Elsie Attafuah, Programme Officer, East and Southern Africa
Tel. +39 06 5459 2577
e.attafuah (at) global-mechanism.org
