GEF National Dialogues were held in Pakistan, Turkey, Suriname, and Tanzania, at the request of these countries during 2009. Dialogues are organized and conducted in consultation with each country's GEF National Focal Points, supported by UNDP Country Offices, and based on the strategic guidance provided by the GEF National Dialogue Initiative and its Inter-Agency Steering Committee.
While the National Dialogues are developed in line with global programme objectives, each Dialogue is designed to respond to specific national objectives and priorities and is tailored to the country's needs. Further information on the Dialogues held in 2009 is provided below.
Pakistan GEF National Dialogue Lahore, 27-28 January 2009
The Pakistan GEF National Dialogue convened approximately 80 national GEF stakeholders for two days of intensive consultations and discussions about the country's GEF priorities and portfolio. Participants represented the Federal and Provincial Governments, including the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Agriculture, representatives of GEF projects, various universities and research institutes, NGOs, the private sector, international organizations, as well as resource persons from the GEF Secretariat and Agencies.
The DialogueAgendawas designed to meet the following objectives:
To raise awareness of national stakeholders about the GEF in order to build capacity for effective implementation of Pakistan's GEF portfolio
To strengthen the GEF national coordination mechanism through exchange of ideas and best practices
To review the role and comparative advantages of GEF Agencies in Pakistan and learn from their experience in development and implementation of GEF projects in Pakistan
To identify and elaborate national priorities under the GEF thematic areas for the remaining period of GEF-4 and discuss preliminary areas of interest for GEF-5
Turkey GEF National Dialogue Ankara, 25-26 May 2009
The Turkey GEF National Dialogue was held in Ankara at the end of May, and participated in by approximately 100 national GEF stakeholders for two days of intensive consultations and discussions about the country's GEF 4 project portfolio and looking ahead to GEF 5. Participants represented the national, provincial, and municipal governments, including the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, various universities and research institutes, NGOs, the private sector, international donor organizations, directors of GEF projects, as well as resource persons from the GEF Secretariat and Agencies.
The Dialogue Agenda responded to the following objectives:
Increasing awareness about the GEF and its revised strategies, policies and procedures in the sustainable development context of Turkey among a broad array of national stakeholders
Building capacity of national governmental and non-governmental partners for development and implementation of GEF projects by promoting and facilitating information and knowledge exchange, as well as sharing lessons learned from project formulation and implementation
Assessing GEF4 and national priorities effectiveness in terms of projects approved/implemented, and providing a platform to discuss next steps for GEF5 phase which will facilitate the selection process for upcoming GEF cycle
Suriname GEF National Dialogue Paramaribo, 14-15 July 2009
Suriname’s GEF National Dialogue was held in Paramaribo on 14-15 July. Approximately 70 national GEF stakeholders participated for one and a half days of multi-stakeholder dialogue focusing on raising awareness of the GEF policies and strategies, linking GEF’s strategic priorities to Suriname’s national priorities, and finalizing the country's GEF 4 project portfolio in biodiversity and climate change. This was followed by a site visit to a land degradation GEF Small Grants Programme project. Participants represented the national, provincial, and municipal governments, various universities and research institutes, NGOs, the private sector, international donor organizations, directors of GEF projects, and resource persons from the GEF Secretariat and Agencies.
The Dialogue Agenda responded to the following objectives:
Integrating GEF into national plans and programs
Improving communications and outreach to key stakeholders
Gaining greater understanding of GEF focal area strategies and criteria of the adaptation funds
Enhancing inter-agency and cross-sectoral collaboration, and building capacity of national agencies for development and implementation of projects
Finalizing Suriname’s GEF 4 project portfolio in biodiversity and climate change
Capturing lessons learned through the GEF Small Grants Programme (SGP) and identifying opportunities for up-scaling local experiences.
Tanzania GEF National Dialogue Dar es Salaam, 12-14 October
The Tanzania Dialogue was held at the Dar es Salaam International Conference Centre on 12-13 October and convened well over a hundred GEF stakeholders from government (national, regional, and district levels), civil society (non-governmental organizations, universities, private sector organizations, and the media), international donor organizations, diplomatic corps, and resource persons from the GEF Secretariat and Agencies. The Vice President's Office Permanent Secretary's opening statement and the Deputy Permanent Secretary's closing remarks are available, as are the welcoming remarks for the well-attended project site visit to the Sustainable Energy and Development Centre (SEDC, which has received GEF SGP project support) on 14 October.
The DialogueAgendawas designed to meet the following objectives:
Increasing awareness about the GEF and its revised strategies, policies and procedures in the sustainable development context of Tanzania among a broad array of national stakeholders.
Building capacity of National Governmental and Non-Governmental Partners to fully integrate global environmental concerns and GEF project results into national development by strengthening national ownership, coordination, and communications regarding GEF matters
Assessing GEF4 activities and effectiveness of national priorities in terms of projects approved/implemented and lessons learned, and providing a platform in anticipation of GEF5
