Civil society and the Adaptation Fund

Sven Harmeling, Germanwatch

harmeling@germanwatch.org

Side event of the Adaptation Fund Board, Bonn, 15 June 2011

Openness to civil society engagement

- Open access for all accredited observers (except for some sessions), meetings webcasted, evolving dialogue sessions with AFB, responsive AFB members (informal dialogues)

- all meetings documents are made available to the public in advance, incl. project proposals, web facility for comments

- Evolving monitoring and evaluation guidelines: “The inclusion of civil society is an international best practice in evaluations and should be kept as currently presented in the Evaluation Framework and the Guidelines for Project/Programme Final Evaluations, mentioned in decision AFB.13/18 above; encouraging all evaluations to have full consultation with all relevant stakeholders;” (AFB 13th meeting report)

Challenges/suggestions for civil society engagement

- Provide clearer guidance on consultative process at different levels, and on the strategic priority „most vulnerable communities“

- consider options for formal participation in AFB debates (no right to speak for selected observers >> e.g. PPCR approach)

- important debates shifted to Committees (Ethics, project review, NIE accreditation) >>open for present observers, proper reporting essential

- Guidance for stronger role of CBOs/CSOs as executing entities

Emerging: the AF NGO Network

Starting point: strategic priority of the AF to „give special attention to the needs of the most vulnerable communities“

Overall Objective: Strengthen CSO capacity to accompany development of the AF globally and in developing countries

Means (examples)- Support NGOs in selected developing countries (focus direct

access countries, partners in Jamaica, Senegal, Honduras)- Provide policy analysis, e.g. through reports on meetings- Share information through e.g. AF NGO Newsletter (2nd

edition available), incl. reports from developing countries

Partners and Advisory Committee: IIED, Bread for the World, Practical Action, Fundacion Vida (Honduras), ENDA (Senegal), Panos Caribbean (Jamaica), ETC Foundation,

Thank you for your attention!

Visit at: www.af-network.org

Facebook: coming soon!!!

Contact: kaloga@germanwatch.org

The project „AF NGO Network“ is financially supported by the International Climate Initiative of the German Federal Environment Ministry.