Notification 2007-087

Dear Madam/Sir, A Technical Report on National/Regional Environmental Funds is being prepared by the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity to facilitate the implementation of Decision VIII/13, paragraph 7, in which the Conference of the Parties recommended to Parties, Governments and funding institutions, as appropriate, the promotion, and fostering of new national and regional environmental funds and strengthening/expanding such existing funds, and further to encourage knowledge transfer and exchange about these mechanisms, through the creation and/or strengthening of national and international learning networks or communities. The Technical Report will present a compilation of general information pertinent to national/regional environmental funds, as well as their impacts, challenges, lessons learned and outlooks. It gives me pleasure to invite you to contribute with a paper to exchange knowledge and experience, and explore principal issues related to the above report. You will find attached the suggested outline for papers on National/Regional Environmental Funds. Prospective contributors are encouraged to advise the Secretariat of their intention to make a submission in advance. The deadline for submission of papers is 15 October 2007. I look forward to effective exchanging of knowledge and experience on this important matter. Please accept, Madam/Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration. Suggested Outline for Papers on National/Regional Environmental Funds A. Country: Fund title: Author: B. Fund overview: e.g. Brief background and history (Why, when, how the fund was created? any external assistance received; major phases of the Fund’s evolution) Purposes (Mission statement; main goals/objectives; any changes in its evolution? why?) Legal arrangement (legal status; main points of legal instruments/ documents; experience and lessons in dealing with legal issues encountered; national tax consideration (exemption) for the fund, for self-generated revenues, for private or business donations) Governance and administration (governing structure (Board or Assembly etc.) and decision making; administrative structure; percentage of annual administrative costs to total committed grants; experience and lessons in dealing with governing body and administrative issues) Resource mobilization management (sources and amounts of the fund’s historical and current assets and the reasons for any change; types of resources; gaps in reaching funding targets; goals for future fundraising; main points of resource mobilization strategy; experience and lessons in dealing with fundraising) Resource allocation management (Grant programs; criteria for selecting projects; procedures for project approval and implementation; historical trends of approved grants (amounts and number of projects); implementers and beneficiaries by nature; unmet qualified requests; experience and lessons in dealing with resource allocation) Investment portfolio management (policy and practice for investing available assets; main points of investment strategy or asset management; experience and lessons in dealing with asset management) Financial management (accounting practice and financial reports; audits (the fund itself and/or funds disbursed to recipients); monitoring and evaluation of outcomes and impacts) C. Results and impacts: (e.g., Relation and Contributions to National Biodiversity Efforts Relation to any national plans (national biodiversity strategy and action plan); priority setting of the fund; linkage with other funds (related to biodiversity and sustainable development in general); geographical coverage by the fund in relation to overall national biodiversity activities; thematic linkage of the fund with national biodiversity strategic themes; percentage of financial contribution by the fund to the total national biodiversity expenses (or budgets); further potential contributions of the fund to national conservation and sustainable use) D. Success and Challenges: (e.g., Experience and lessons in innovations; sustainability of the fund; major needs addressed) E. Lessons learned: F. Outlook: (e.g. for the period 2008-2014, Perspectives on major opportunities, constraints or challenges foreseen in the coming years at local, national and international levels) G. Basic fund information: Operational since: (year) Total income (mil US$): 2002: 2003: 2004: 2005: 2006: Major revenue sources in (2006 if possible) (with % of fund’s total revenues): Total expenditure (mil US$): 2002: 2003: 2004: 2005: 2006: Total biodiversity expenditure in (2006 if possible) (with % of total expenditures): Major fields of biodiversity expenditure in (2006 if possible) (with % of total biodiversity expenditures): Primary disbursement mechanisms in (2006) (with % of total disbursements) Contact Director: Address: Tel.: Fax.: Email: Web:

Executive Secretary

To: CBD Focal Points and National/Regional Environmental Funds