OCC hosts final validation workshop for access to Green Climate Fund

January 23, 2018

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DPI, GUYANA, Tuesday, January 23, 2018

The Office of Climate Change (OCC) today hosted its Elaboration of the Country Work Programme for Engagement with the Green Climate Fund Validation Workshop, which is the third and final in a series of workshops, intended to present the draft country work programme to the National Designated Authority (NDA) Secretariat and relevant national stakeholders and to collect feedback with a view to preparing a final version.

Janelle Christian, Head- Office of Climate Change.

The workshop was facilitated by the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC).

Head of the OCC, Janelle Christian said Guyana was the first of the CARICOM countries to be approved by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) for readiness preparedness and support of the NDA.

The Ministry of the Presidency (MoTP) is Guyana’s NDA. It is responsible for facilitating, supporting and creating the enabling environment for GCF processes within the country.

According to Christian, the Office was able to advance the no objection process with respect to the priorities that will come forth from the public and private sector, as well as civil society, “which would then go to the GCF Steering Committee, which is now a sub-committee of the re-established National Climate Change Committee for decision making with respect to what it is we would hope to be financed by the GCF.”

Following this, the final decision would then be signed off based on the recommendation from the experts and other stakeholders. The OCC Head stated that climate change planning is an important initiative, therefore the Ministry of Finance has a critical role to play in decision making with respect to Guyana’s priority.

A suite of initiatives has been formulated and will be put forward to the GCF for financing in the country work programme.

Officer, Kandila Ramotar said the workshop is part of the wider programme titled “Capacity Building for the National Designated Authority to the Green Climate Fund and preparing a Strategic Framework for Guyana” aimed at building the capacity of the MoTP and developing Guyana’s Strategic Framework.

She noted that “the country Strategic Framework basically outlines a series of projects both in the pipeline and those identified by sector agencies as priorities for development and support from the Green Climate Fund”.

A first workshop was held in September 2017 to provide guidance and focused capacity building support to the NDA staff and appointed members of the GCF Steering Committee in performing their roles and responsibilities, through enhanced understanding of GCF operational modalities and requirements.

The second workshop, which was held in October 2017 in consultation with selected stakeholders, was aimed at crafting medium to long-term priorities for funding under the GCF. This laid the groundwork for the development of the country work programme for engagement with the GCF.

According to the OCC, several barriers hinder the NDA from effectively undertaking its fund-related activities, such as low awareness.

It is against this backdrop that Guyana and the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre have received funding to implement the “GCF Readiness Preparation Support Project for the Enhancement of Guyana’s Capacity to Access and Deliver International Climate Finance through Targeted Institutional Strengthening.”