Nisha Onta, Knowledge Management Coordinator, attend the Climate Investment Fund (CIF) Stakeholder Day and the Partnership Forum which was co- hosted by the CIF and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) from 22-24 June in Montego Bay, Jamaica.Cecile Ndjebet, WOCAN Core Associte and President of REFACOF and Bridget Burns from WEDO also participated at the forum and represented the Global Gender and Climate Alliance (GGCA). The objective of the Stakeholder Day was to explore stakeholders’ engagement (both private sector and civic engagement) principles, modalities, practices in climate finance at three levels: Governance, Program and Project level. The panelists of the session on -experiences from the ground discussed issues related to translating global action into national and local levels, challenges of indigenous peoples in reflecting international progress at the local levels. In the following sessions on- advances, challenges and promises, the panelists further discussed the issue of transparency and timeliness of the stakeholder consultation in the national and local level. The panelists emphasized the need of engaging the stakeholders from the outset; to gain legitimacy, establish communication between government and stakeholders who may lack a history of engaging and sharing accurate information with stakeholders.
The panel session was followed by the breakout discussion in three groups: The Pilot Program for Climate Resilience (PPCR), The Forest Investment Program (FIP), The Clean Technology Fund (CTF) and The Scaling Up Renewable Energy Program in Low Income Countries (SREP). The breakout sessions addressed: challenges faced in engaging stakeholders at the country level; good practices or innovations in trying new approaches to engagement and lessons learned; and changes needed for stakeholder engagement as the CIF programs move into implementation. The summary of the stakeholder day was presented during the Partnership Forum by John Clark, Principal of The Policy Practice Ltd, who emphasized the need to tailor approaches by mapping key stakeholders, including their strengths and their needs, particularly when moving from planning to project implementation; balance between competing priorities; and reach out to stakeholders early.
The Partnership Forum included various panel sessions and knowledge bazaar. There was a session focused on Gender in the CIF moderated by the newly appointed Gender Focal Point Anne Kuriakose, Sr. Social Development Specialist of the World Bank. The presenters were Dominique Lallement,(International Development Consultant), Joyce Cacho (Gender and Agribusiness, African Union), Sonomi Tanaka (Gender Specialist, Asia Development Bank), Awatif Al-shargabi (Gender Specialist, Government of Yemen) and Claudio Altorre (Inter-American Development Bank). The presentations emphasized the need to integrate gender analysis to the CIF program design and implementation, they also discussed that inclusion of gender considerations varies across programs and women are still categorized as vulnerable. GGCA participants expressed the need to put in place guidelines and reporting mechanism for gender considerations in all CIF programs and the need for CIF to utilize its ‘learning by doing’ culture to champion projects which incorporate gender, and feed into the culture of Green Climate Funds.
For more on the Partnership Forum, you can find written reports and photographs for this meeting here at www.iisd.ca/climate/cif/pf/2014/.