United Nations Environment Programme Global Environment Facility Pacific Alliance for Sustainability Dr Greg Sherley UNEP Pacific Office Care of UNDP, Apia, Samoa Mr Joe Stanley SPREP, Apia, Samoa

Presentation Outline UNEP GEF PAS update GEF 5 projects and issues

GEF PAS conservation projects 1 (GEF contributions shown to be matched 1:1) Micronesia Challenge – Palau, FSM, RMI (Guam, CNMI partners); $US6 (18)m; Project Document complete and being reviewed by UNEP; resubmitted to UNEP Project Review Committee 28 Jan 2010; co-finance guarantee letters; behind schedule; Micronesia Conservation Trust will be EA Phoenix Islands Protected Area- Kiritimati, $US1m (first phase), Project Document underway – complete by 31 March, MELAD (Government of Kiribati) EA Pacific Regional Invasive Species – ten countries; $US3.5m, Project Document and consultation underway – complete by 31 March 2010, workshop 4 th week Feb Nadi, SPREP EA

GEF PAS conservation projects 2 Implementing Island Biodiversity Programme of Work with integrated management of island biodiversity and conservation – Cook Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Nauru; $US2m; PIF approved for inter-sessional GEF Council agenda; PPG application submitted; SPREP EA NGO sector conservation (examples – many more exist): Conservation International – Critical Ecosystem Protection Fund – Melanesia-Micronesia hotspot The Nature Conservancy (and others) – Coral Triangle Initiative

Other GEF PAS projects 1 Renewable energy – Cook Islands, Tuvalu, Tonga, Nauru; $3.45m; inception workshop; IUCN Oceania (Suva) EA Persistent Organic Pesticides monitoring; $0.517; Fiji, Kiribati, Niue, Samoa, Palau, Solomon Islands, Cook Islands; underway; USP EA DDT management; PNG, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Thailand; $1m; PIF written unknown future; EA UNEP/FAO

Other GEF PAS projects 2 Integrated Management of Solid and Hazardous Wastes and POPs; Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Repbulic of Marshall Islands, PNG, Samoa, Tuvalu, Palau, Tonga, Kiribati, Niue; $3.5m; PIF accepted for March inter-sessional; SPREP EA – possibly other(s) as well. Implementing Sustainable Integrated Water Resource and Wastewater Management in the PIC’s; Cooks, Fiji, Kiribati, FSM, Nauru, Niue, Palau, PNG, Samoa, Solomons, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Marshalls, Tonga; $9m; underway; SOPAC EA

Suggested GEF 5 conservation projects 1 Ocean-scape - Kiribati proposal on ocean stewardship as per Cairns Pacific Island Forum agreement; regional; $7m? IA = UNEP (possible) shared? EA = Cons Int Pacific (Apia)? Pacific Ocean Ark (Kiribati) – sub-programme of Ocean-scape - southern Micronesia and Polynesia archipelagos; $15m? Cook Islands, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu, Tuvalu, Niue, Kiribati; IA = UNEP (possible); EA = CI (Pacific)?

Suggested GEF 5 conservation projects 2 Solomon Islands National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan Implementation; $10m; IA = UNEP (willing) + partner ? (UNDP?); EA’s = CI (Pacific, willing) + Birdlife (Pacific, willing)? Western Melanesia biodiversity hotspots conservation implementation; Vanuatu and islands of PNG including Bismarks and Bougainville; ? $ but FSP; IA = UNEP (willing); EA’s = CI (Pacific, willing) + Birdlife (Pacific, willing)?

Modelling optimal programme implementation # 1 (lessons for GEF 5 and the future): Avoiding too much, too soon and too short Trust endowment funds – longterm, moderated income, stable – solve a lot of recurring problems – especially capacity Cooperation/collaboration – avoid duplication, economies of scale – Pacific Round Table, Invasives examples Set up and use regional scale service providers – technical support, information and capacity building (e.g. SPREP, SOPAC, SPC)

Modelling optimal programme implementation # 2 Rationalise similar programmes – requires countries to lobby funding agencies Collaborative/collegial behaviour – individuals need to put into practice selfless actions Urgency – don’t lose the benefits of past work – capitalise on the opportunity now nor foreclose future options

Action strategy for nature conservation and protected areas in the Pacific Island region Process – product of extensive consultation and input over decades – at least 1975 Pacific region – almost unique with a conservation action strategy Vision and Mission – see SPREP website

Mission To protect and conserve the rich natural and cultural heritage of the Pacific Islands forever for the benefit of the people of the Pacific and the world

Objectives – five years 1. Ensure conservation has a development context that recognises, respects and supports sustainable livelihoods and community development aspirations 2. Identify, conserve and sustainably manage priority sites, habitats and ecosystems 3. Protect and recover threatened species and species of ecological, cultural and economic significance 4. Manage threats to biodiversity, especially climate change impacts and invasive species

Principles – “A code of conduct” 6. Co-ordination (example) Conservation is more effective when partners co-ordinate and work within a strategic framework National Partners will commit to: Ensuring NBSAP’s and other locally devised conservation programmes are strategic, focused and set clear local priorities Taking a leadership role in co-ordinating all partners Providing national and local focal points for co-ordinating NBSAP and other programme implementation International Partners will commit to: Working within the legislation, policies, strategies, programmes and priorities established by national partners Working with each other to ensure collaborative analysis, strategies, agreed priorities and co-ordination of political engagement to avoid duplication Avoiding programming that directly competes with national partners for projects and funding

The other principles Community rights Conservation from a Pacific framework Ownership of conservation programmes Financial sustainability Good governance [Co-ordination] Capacity development Accountability

Action Strategy implementation National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans – collectively are the implementation plan(s) for the Strategy The Round Table is the support mechanism for countries implementing NBSAP’s (via their steering committees) Meets annually – facilitated (currently) by IUCN Suva

Working groups Function as : fora for interagency collaboration; implementing arms for the action strategy Invasive species Capacity building Threatened species Information and communication Others How: Chair, members from active agencies Share experiences, collaborate projects

Modelling optimal programme implementation: Invasive Alien Species Working Group and the Regional IAS Programme IASWG could act as advisory body to the RIASP starting with developing the Programme Document (the blueprint saying what the programme will do) : –Country and annual work plans (alignment with NBSAP’s and Regional Conservation Action Strategy) –Identify leverage opportunities with other projects –Assist with technical and practical support –Role in monitoring and evaluation –Ensure maximum use of existing networks e.g. PILN, PII etc