Financial Mechanism and Resources

GEF Effectiveness Review

Article 21, paragraph 3: "3. The Conference of the Parties shall review the effectiveness of the mechanism established under this Article, including the criteria and guidelines referred to in paragraph 2 above, not less than two years after the entry into force of this Convention and thereafter on a regular basis. Based on such review, it shall take appropriate action to improve the effectiveness of the mechanism if necessary."

The performance of the financial mechanism has been under multi-layered reviews by the GEF agencies, the GEF Evaluation Office and the Conference of the Parties, in accordance with their distinct mandates and institutional interests. The review of the effectiveness of the financial mechanism undertaken by the Conference of the Parties is conducted every four years and this review coincides with the ordinary meeting of the Conference of the Parties.

The Conference of the Parties conducts a review of the effectiveness of the financial mechanism every four years.

Sixth Review

In Decision 15/15, paragraph 17, the Conference of the Parties "Adopts the terms of reference for the sixth quadrennial review of the effectiveness of the financial mechanism contained in annex IV to the present decision, and requests the Executive Secretary to ensure that the report on the sixth quadrennial review of the effectiveness of the financial mechanism is made available three months prior to the sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties."

Paragraph 5 of the Terms of Reference provides: "Under the authority of the Conference of the Parties and in consultation with the Bureau of the Conference of the Parties, the Executive Secretary will, subject to the availability of resources, contract an experienced independent evaluator to undertake the review, in accordance with the above objectives, methodology and criteria."

Fifth Review

In decision 14/23, paragraph 12, the Conference of the Parties "Considers the sixth overall performance study of the Global Environment Facility, conducted by the Facility’s Independent Evaluation Office and completed in December 2017, as a good basis for the fifth review of the effectiveness of the financial mechanism, as well as the related submissions received from Parties, and invites the Council of the Global Environment Facility to take the following action in order to further improve the effectiveness of the financial mechanism:
(a) Continue to improve the design, management, and performance of the sixth-replenishment Integrated Approach Pilots, the seventh-replenishment impact programmes, other programmatic approaches, and multi-focal area projects in addressing drivers of environmental degradation;
(b) Promote awareness to the existing processes under the Conflict Resolution Commissioner to address complaints related to the operations of the financial mechanism;
(c) Further improve the sustainability of funded projects and programmes, including sustainable financing of protected areas;
(d) Continue to improve the efficiency and accountability of the Global Environment Facility partnership;
(e) Include the following information in its report to the Conference of the Parties at its fifteenth meeting:
(i) Progress in implementing the new co-financing policy;
(ii) Performance of the Global Environment Facility’s network of agencies;"

Decision XIII/21 sets out the terms of reference for the fifth review of the effectiveness of the financial mechanism.

In Recommendation 2/7 on review of implementation of financial mechanism (Article 21), the second meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Implementation regrets that the terms of reference for the fifth review of the financial mechanism were not implemented due to lack of funding (paragraph 3), and invites Parties and Governments, as well as relevant stakeholders, to submit views and other information on the sixth overall performance study of the Independent Evaluation Office of the Global Environment Facility, and the summary of evaluation results of the Global Environment Facility Independent Evaluation Office, to the Executive Secretary by 15 September 2018 (paragraph 4). The Subsidiary Body on Implementation requests the Executive Secretary to prepare a compilation of submissions received from Parties as well as the information derived from the sixth overall performance study of the Independent Evaluation Office of the Global Environment Facility, which will be the basis for the fifth review of effectiveness of the financial mechanism to be performed by the Conference of the Parties at its fourteenth meeting (paragraph 5).

GEF/A.6/07: Sixth Overall Performance Study of the Global Environment Facility: The GEF in the Changing Environmental Finance Landscape, Prepared by the Independent Evaluation Office of the Global Environment Facility, 24 June 2018

CBD/SBI/2/INF/25: Summary of evaluation results of the Global Environment Facility Independent Evaluation Office, 31 March 2018

Submissions on the fifth review: Colombia; Syrian Arab Republic; The European Union and its Member States

Fourth review

The Conference of the Parties initiated the fourth review by adopting the terms of reference in decision X/27, and concluded the fourth review by adopting decision XII/30

Summary of the fourth review of the effectiveness of the Global Environment Facility (UNEP/CBD/WGRI/5/5/ADD1, 17 April 2014): اللغة العربية, 中文, English, Français, Русский, Español;

Fourth review of the effectiveness of the financial mechanism: UNEP/CBD/WGRI/5/INF/10

Third review

The Conference of the Parties initiated the third review by adopting decision VII/22, and concluded the third review by adopting decision IX/31

Review of the effectiveness of the financial mechanism (UNEP/CBD/COP/9/17; 26 April 2008) (ar en es fr ru zh)

Review of the effectiveness of the financial mechanism: the report of the independent evaluator commissioned to carry out the third review of the effectiveness of the financial mechanism (UNEP/CBD/COP/9/INF/20, 26 February 2008)

Second review

The Conference of the Parties initiated the second review by adopting decision V/12, and concluded the second review by adopting decision VI/17

Executive summary of the report of the independent evaluator for the review of the effectiveness of the financial mechanism (UNEP/CBD/COP/6/13/Add.1; 12 December 2001) (ar en es fr ru zh) and (UNEP/CBD/COP/6/INF/4, 14 January 2002)

First review

The Conference of the Parties initiated the first review by adopting decision III/7, and concluded the first review by adopting decision IV/11

Review of the Effectiveness of the Financial Mechanism (UNEP/CBD/COP/4/16; 5 February 1998) (ar en fr ru zh)

Reference: Budget and staffing of Evaluation Systems in Development Co-operation - 2016 Review by OECD