Since our first collaboration in capacity assessment and development in 1998, the GEF and UNEP-led capacity development initiatives. Together, we have developed and implemented projects in over 50 countries, building the capacity of some of the world’s least developed nations to contribute to the global fight to defeat climate change and preserve our environment.
The objective of our Cross-Cutting Capacity Development (CCCD) portfolio is to enhance capacities of countries for monitoring and reporting on Multilateral Environmental Agreements through well-integrated and functional environment information systems.
Our GEF-supported CCCD projects promote the synergistic implementation of the environmental conventions in various countries and help to develop coordination mechanisms and national capacities. The projects fulfil critical elements of the obligations of MEAs, specifically on reporting with consistency and transparency. The projects also help to utilize and present data for environmental monitoring, analyses, decision making, information sharing in a user-friendly manner and for creating awareness among the public on issues related to environment and global environmental issues.
The work of the UNEP-GEF partnership is guided by the GEF objectives, which aim to support capacity development by, amongst other things:
- Integrating global environmental needs into management
- Establish/strengthen National environmental management information systems
- Strengthening national consultative and management structures and mechanisms
- Integrating Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEA) into national policy, and legislative and regulatory frameworks
- Piloting innovative economic and financial tools for MEA implementation
- Updating National Capacity Self-Assessments
Global Environmental Benefits
UNEP-GEF CCCD projects have multiple global environmental benefits in all GEF focal areas, as it enhances the implementation of MEAs in the areas of climate change, biodiversity, land degradation and chemicals. Furthermore, there is a significant opportunity to strengthen countries’ capacity to address global environmental issues such as desertification, environmental degradation and climate change by enhancing their capacity to implement the obligations under the MEAs and related SDGs.
Our work and the Sustainable Development Goals
Our UNEP-GEF CCCD projects have been designed to create enabling environment and enhance the implementation, monitoring and reporting of all SDGs with an environmental dimension, majority of the project interventions primarily contribute to the following SDGs, targets and indicators:
- SDG 13 Climate Action – Indicators (13.2.1, 13.3.1, 13.3.2, 13.b.1)
- SDG 14 Life below water – indicators (14.1, 14.2, 14.3, 14.5, 14.a, 14.c)
- SDG 15 Life on land – Indicators (15.1.1, 15.1.2, 15.2.1, 15.3.1, 15.4.1/2, 15.9.1);
- SDG 16 Peace and Justice – Indicators (16.10.2);
- SDG 17 Partnerships for the goals – Indicators (17.14.1; 17.16.1; 17.18.1)
