Climate Adaptation Fund

Call for reviewing interim role of GEF-WB

1 June 2010, 18:00 PM

Bss, Bonn

Parties of the UNFCCC called for reviewing the interim role of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and World Bank (WB) in the management of the climate change adaptation fund. The Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI) of the UNFCCC in its opening meeting on Sunday accepted two separate proposals placed by the Philippines and Uzbekistan for review of the institutional arrangement of the adaptation fund. As the Adaptation Fund is going to be operationalised, they said, the review is necessary for ensuring the effectiveness and adequacy of the fund. Spain for EU, Bangladesh for LDCs, the Maldives for Small Island States (SIS) and Yemen for G77/China focussed on the problems in the SBI plenary held with Robert Owen-Jones (Australia) in the chair. Global Environment Facility (GEF) now gives secretariat services to the Adaptation Fund Board while WB provides trustee services. Yemen on behalf of G77/China highlighted the problems in receiving financial and technical support under the existing system and emphasized review of the financial mechanism. The Philippines said the adaptation fund should be operationalised through direct access procedure of all countries. Bangladesh called for new and additional financial resources, direct and easy access and support for setting up national implementing entities. Spain on behalf of European Union (EU) said they would make 45 million euro contribution to the Adaptation Fund and welcomed the progress of the Adaptation Board in creating the fund. Germany said they would provide 10 million euro to the fund.