Least Developed Countries Group on Climate Change paves the way for its Permanent Secretariat

From May 2^nd to May 5^th 2023, a retreat was held in Saly, Senegal, in the context of the project “Strengthening Engagement and Action by the Least Developed Countries Group on Climate Change”. The project is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) in collaboration with LDC Group on Climate Change, Climate Analytics (CA) and International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED).

The project aims to strengthen the institutional structures of the LDC Group to better advocate for LDC matters within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) processes and to strengthen it facilitation power to translate climate decisions into concrete action on the ground. It is envisaged that by end of the project, the LDC Group has an appropriate legal status and operates through a newly established Permanent Secretariat.

The retreat engaged members from the LDC project steering committee (PSC), members of the UNIDO Project Management Unit, two representatives of the LDC Group on climate change Chair’s office, two representatives from the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), and two representatives from Climate Analytics (CA).

The retreat provided a space for exchange and sharing of knowledge across the PSC and implementing partners to inform the project implementation. It was also aimed to be a forum for a coordinated discussion on the project components and the project annual workplan for year one of the project implementation, providing concrete inputs and specifying the expected and concrete deliverables.

The initial day aimed to provide an overview on the project, initiate discussions on the project components through a common understanding of expectations of the participants, and explore the history and operation of the LDC Group on Climate Change. The second day focused on key thematic areas relevant to the establishment and operation of the Permanent Secretariat, including linkages to the LDC Group Initiatives, ongoing discussions on the Secretariat's establishment and potential legal options. The third day involved data collection on topics such as social inclusion, gender and youth, institutional memory, capacity building, and coordination. The primary focus of this day was to reach a final agreement on the GEF-7 project components and activities, to continue with the annual work plan, and associated budget.

The retreat fostered interactive dialogue among the participants through a mixed panel and breakout group format. The retreat was highly successful in fostering a dynamic and interactive discussion among the participants, and pointed out a clear message on the LDC Group on Climate Change’s desire to use the GEF funded project to establish its Permanent Secretariat. Several hosting arrangements, locations and legal options are under consideration.

The retreat concluded with an agreement on the main project milestones, an effective division of labour between the partners and a clear roadmap leading to the establishment of the Permanent Secretariat by project close. The meeting played a pivotal role in forging partnerships and aligning efforts towards the achievement of this objective.

UNIDO is tasked to accompany the LDC Group throughout this process and contributes with it experience in the establishment of national and regional technology centres, particularly in the context of the Global Network of Regional Sustainable Energy Centres (GN-SEC). The latter covers 41 of 46 LDCs and is an important infrastructure to accelerate the energy and climate transition “from the regions for the regions”.

For further information, please, visit:

https://open.unido.org/projects/M0/projects/220042

https://www.ldc-climate.org/

Contact details:

LDC Chair office (ldcchairsenegal@gmail.com);

Martin Lugmayr, Industrial Development Expert (m.lugmayr@unido.org); and,

Andrea Eras Almeida, Renewable Energy Project Expert (a.erasalmeida@unido.org).