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Innocent Ruwende in Bonn, Germany
The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 23) opened here yesterday with developing nations and China bemoaning increasing difficulties and conditionalities faced by several developing countries in accessing financial resources from the Global Environment Facility. The Global Environment Facility (GEF) was set up in October 1991 with a view to provide new and additional grants and concessional funding to cover additional costs associated with transforming a project with national benefits to one with global environmental benefits.

Speaking at the opening plenary of the 47th Session of the Subsidiary Body For Science and Technological Advice (Sbsta 47) and the Subsidiary Body of Implementation Group of 77 (G77), chairperson Carola Iniguez, who is also Minister of Foreign Affairs for Ecuador, said the criteria were not compatible with guidance from the COP and were a clear departure from the letter and spirit of the Convention and the Paris Agreement.

“On the provision on financial and technical support, the Group regrets to bring to your attention the increasing difficulties and conditionalities faced by several developing countries in accessing financial resources from the GEF, including through the establishment of programme priorities and eligibility criteria that have not been agreed at the intergovernmental level,” she said.

“The Group is deeply concerned about the no response from GEF to continued communication of these parties.” The Group said it was concerned that some developed countries were unilaterally applying into the decision-making processes eligibility criteria, which is not agreed to limiting the access of funding to developing countries. Head of Zimbabwe technical delegation to the climate talks Mr Washington Zhakata said some developed countries were now pushing for the funds to be provided in terms of grants only for the least developed countries, and loans for the rest of the developing countries.

“This is contrary to the provisions of Article 4 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which calls for developed countries to provide finance to the developing world for adaptation,” he said.

“These are some of the issues which must be clearly addressed in the negotiations, especially with respect to the shifting of goalposts by developed country parties from their UNFCCC obligations of unconditional support for climate change adaptation in developing countries.” He said there was need for urgent mobilisation of financial resources for implementation of the Nationally Determined Contributions so that developing countries can prepare for the first global stock take to review the NDCs implementation processes.