New Partnership: The GEF Small Grants Programme and IPEN:


Global | May 27, 2005



IPEN Declaration for a Toxics-Free Future

At the 2005 IPEN General Assembly in Montevideo, Uruguay IPEN and the GEF Small Grants Programme adopted a joint communique endorsing the IPEN-SGP Partnership.

See below

For additional information about the Small Grants Programme including current SGP POPs eligible countries -
  click HERE

Download the Joint IPEN-SGP Communique as an Adobe Acrobat .pdf file-
  click HERE



Joint Communique on IPEN and SGP Partnership for the reduction and elimination of POPs and other hazardous chemicals through NGO and CBO action.

Vision

The International POPs Elimination Network (IPEN) and the Global Environmental Facility Small Grants Programme (GEF SGP) join in partnership to promote the active participation of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), community based organizations (CBOs) and other civil society organizations (CSOs) in the implementation of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). This partnership will also promote NGO, CBO and CSO participation in other activities aimed at promoting chemical safety that have relevance and linkages to the GEF Focal Areas of International Waters, Land Degradation, Climate Change and Biodiversity.

This partnership is based upon the missions of GEF SGP and IPEN. GEF SGP supports grassroots action to address global environmental concerns, since its inception in 1992 and has added POPs as a new focal area in its programme in October 2002. In the margins of the Stockholm Convention Diplomatic Conference, in May, 2001, IPEN Participating Organizations adopted the IPEN Stockholm Declaration which redefined IPEN’s mission, stating: "the mission of IPEN is to facilitate effective involvement by its Participating Organizations in local, national, and international activities to promote the elimination of POPs and other persistent toxic substances."

This partnership builds upon the work of IPEN and GEF SGP. IPEN is implementing a GEF Medium sized Project entitled: "Fostering Active and Effective Civil Society Participation in Preparations for Implementation of the Stockholm Convention." Through this Project, IPEN is already supporting 100 NGOs and CSOs in 40 countries to help enable their effective participation in regional, national and local activities preparing for effective implementation of the Stockholm Convention. GEF SGP operates in 84 countries and has funded over 5500 projects world wide through national programmes directed by national steering committees which form a world-wide network of about 1000 expert volunteers.

This partnership finally builds upon work by IPEN to mobilize and enable NGO and CSO participation in an ongoing global, intergovernmental process aiming to adopt a Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) which will implement Paragraph 23 of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), Johannesburg Plan of Implementation. Paragraph 23 calls upon governments and other sectors of society to:

"Renew the commitment, as advanced in Agenda 21, to sound management of chemicals throughout their life cycle and of hazardous wastes for sustainable development as well as for the protection of human health and the environment, inter alia, aiming to achieve, by 2020, that chemicals are used and produced in ways that lead to the minimization of significant adverse effects on human health and the environment,"

The SAICM process is poised to define an important role for NGOs and civil society in global efforts to implement Paragraph 23 which, in many cases, will have clear linkages not only to the GEF POPs Focal Area, but also to international waters; land degradation; climate change; and biodiversity. GEF SGP has already a wealth of experience in these fields and has actively worked with over 4000 CBOs and NGOs worldwide and the partnership will further promote NGO, CSO and CBO involvement in these activities insofar as they have clear and well-defined linkages to one or more GEF Focal Area.

The partnership is aimed at generating greater impacts on reducing and eliminating POPs and other hazardous chemicals by facilitating collaboration between the IPEN and GEF SGP through creating a better understanding of the GEF Small Grants Programme on the part of NGOs, CSO and CBOs whose interests and activities are relevant to Stockholm Convention implementation and chemical safety, including helping to provide advice and assistance in project development and implementation. The partnership will additionally help to facilitate a fuller understanding on the part of SGP National Programmes of the Stockholm Convention and other chemical safety activities that may have relevance to one or more GEF Focal Area.

Action

To initiate action on this partnership, IPEN and SGP agree to:

1. Establish evaluation and implementation criteria and identify project concepts for SGP funding and local stakeholder co-financing compatible with IPEN objectives and the SGP Global Strategic Framework.

2. Enhance the synergies, common objectives and linkages of both programs through sharing and exchange of experiences and lessons learned in POPs elimination and chemical safety efforts, including the co-organization of conferences, seminars, workshops and site visits, as may be appropriate.

3. Engage in joint and/or complimentary outreach activities to SGP National Steering Committees to help enhance their understanding of the GEF's new POPs Focal area and to also enhance their understanding of the linkages between other GEF Focal Areas and activities that contribute to the implementation of Paragraph 23 of the WSSD’s Johannesburg Plan of Implementation.

4. Develop joint and/or complementary initiatives in GEF-eligible countries that have ratified the Stockholm Convention on POPs, aimed at strengthening local, national and regional capacities on the part of NGOs, CSOs and CBOs to advance the objectives of the Stockholm Convention and to engage in other chemical safety initiatives that have clear linkages to one or more GEF Focal Area.

5. Support implementation of projects in accordance with the criteria and priorities established under item 1 above, with SGP providing financial support and IPEN seeking to raise co-financing where possible and providing assistance and advice.

6. This communique of partnership is initiated on the date of signing with approval of the IPEN General Assembly and GEF SGP, and can be terminated by communication in writing sent by the interested Party and received by the other Party at least thirty (30) days before the proposed date of termination.








Version: DRAFT 2.0 (June 1, 2006)