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November 2007
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I. Monique Barbut Dear Colleague: Here in Washington, fall is underway with the leaves turning shades of gold, orange, and red. At the GEF, we have a number of important developments underway: the GEF-Pacific Alliance, preparations for the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bali, and the November Council meeting.
a. In 2007 so far, six countries have hosted GEF National Dialogues: Honduras, Iran, Mozambique, Seychelles, Mauritius, and Turkmenistan. The GEF National Focal Points organized the dialogues with support of the UNDP Country Offices, and with the strategic guidance of the National Dialogue Initiative. b. African Constituencies Host Meetings The following three African constituencies hosted constituency meetings just prior to the November Council. III. Stories from the Agencies
Namibia is marking the centenary year of the Etosha National Park—which was once the largest conservation area in the world—with year-long celebrations to generate positive publicity for the park and increase appreciation of the role that protected areas and parks play in Namibia’s economy, development, and heritage.One of the most conservation conscious countries in the world, Namibia is the only country to address conservation concerns in its constitution. b. Conserving Flyway Wetlands for Migratory Waterbirds Because of the destruction and disturbance of key wetlands throughout Asia, many species of migratory waterbirds are in serious decline. The situation is extremely precarious for the critically endangered Siberian Crane, which depends entirely on a series of wetlands along transb c. The GEF-Pacific Alliance for Sustainability: The islands of the Pacific Ocean are some of the most beautiful islands in the worlds – many call them a string of brilliant black pearls along the blue Pacific. These islands stand as symbols to the rest of the world in two ways. First, they hold some of the planet’s greatest natural wealth and cultural treasures. Second, they are at the end of the spectrum of environmental risks. Their citizens face a potentially deadly combination of economic challenges and environmental vulnerability, more serious than the risks facing many other regions today. IV. News from the GEF Evaluation Office
November Council Session The GEF Evaluation Office is presenting the Joint Evaluation of the Small Grants Programme and the GEF Annual Report on Impact 2007 to the November Council Session. The Council will also review Terms of Reference for the Mid-term Review of the RAF and the Progress Report from the Evaluation Director. All relevant documents, including management responses and case studies, are available on the GEF website: www.thegef.org.
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La Ruta Moskitia (LARUMO) has been selected for the “Best in a Park or Protected Area” category of the 2007 Virgin Holidays’ Responsible Tourism Award. It will be awarded on November 14 at the World Travel Market in London.
b. SGP Funding Helps Save Mauritius Parrot In September, the IUCN published its “red list” of loss of biodiversity on the planet. Amongst the bad news was a piece of good news: the last endemic parrot of Mauritius (psittacula eques also known as the echo parakeet) has been upgraded from “critically endangered” to “threatened.”
In conjunction with the GEF November 2007 Council meeting, the NGO Consultations will be held on November 13, 2007 at the World Bank headquarters in Washington DC.
VII. New Focal Points and Council Members
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