Input into the proposed Global Environment Facility environmental and social safeguards

The process of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) developing safeguards continues. In April this year an initial draft was released, and with minimal consultation, sent to the GEF Board for approval in May. The indigenous peoples’ focal points to the GEF, the GEF-NGO Network, other indigenous organizations and Forest Peoples Programme (FPP) all provided detailed input into the GEF Council deliberations, arguing strongly that the safeguards were not sufficient and would not act to improve development or environmental outcomes.

The Council agreed, and decided not to approve the safeguards in their original form. The GEF Secretariat has now opened a consultation process on the draft in which any interested organization can provide feedback or information.  The consultation is only via email and only open until the 31st of August 2011, but it is a significant improvement over the earlier limited avenues for input.

We strongly urge partners and interested organizations to read the attached proposed safeguards and provide comments either directly to the GEF or through FPP (helen@forestpeoples.org).  The sections with yellow highlights are the improvements made after the Council meeting in May this year.  As background, we append the analysis collated by FPP earlier this year.

Separately, the GEF also renewed its commitment to develop a proactive Indigenous Peoples Policy to promote and support projects working with indigenous peoples.  This Policy is being developed through a separate process, and anyone interested in finding out more should contact the indigenous peoples’ focal points to the GEF.