Third Donor Steering Committee Meeting
ILO Headquarters, Geneva
29April 2015
Summary of Meeting
I)Synopsis of Key Points and Conclusions
The ThirdPAGE Donor Steering Committee Meeting was attended by all key funding partners of PAGE, including representatives from European Commission, Finland,Germany, Norway, Republic of Korea,Sweden andSwitzerland. In addition, directors and staff of the five PAGE agencies participated in the event.United Arab Emiratesrepresentatives and the newly appointed UNIDO Director ZouCiyongsent regrets.
Overall, the ambience was positive and constructive. Funding partners expressed that they were “extremely pleased" with the direction in which PAGE is moving and that "remarkable progress" had been made by PAGE since its inception at Rio + 20. In particular they expressed satisfaction that PAGE in 2015 is capable of delivering to countries on green economy policies—fiscal, macro, employment—on a broad scale. There was a general sense that 2014 had been a banner year, a time of intense growth and outreach, and that PAGE was now progressing to a more clearly defined and well-honed value proposition for countries looking for analytical support and capacity development in the area of green economy.
Highlights of the meeting included:
- Adoption of the 2014 Annual Report with appreciation for the work of PAGE and suggestions for delivering attributable results in the coming years. Funding partners suggested PAGEprovide more detailed financial information in future annual reports.
- Positive reception of the Management Response to the PAGE Inception Review and inclusion of its recommendations in the PAGE Operational Strategy 2016-2020. PAGE was requested to update the Operational Strategy as it was important to focus more on 1) linking PAGE with the international development agenda, 2) identifying what PAGE offers to the SDGs and what the SDGs process offers to PAGE, 3) trackingthe ripple effect of PAGE as its results are inspirational for other countries, and 4) elaborating the fundraising and partnership strategies to fill the funding gap and deliver transformational change. The funding partners offered to work with PAGE secretariat to finalize the document soon including through email communication.
- Call to make PAGE and its achievements more visible through communications and outreach, including the new webpage ( previewed during the meeting. The DSC felt strongly that PAGE should focus on increasing its visibility especially at upcoming global events such as the International Conference on Finance for Development, the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, the Seventieth Session of the UN General Assembly,ECOSOC meetings, and the Twenty-First Session of the Conference of the Partiesto the UNFramework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), among others. The DSC members offered to co-host such events and also to highlight PAGE in their statements at global forums. Two particularly relevant meetings in which PAGE should be showcased include the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in New York in June-Julyand the UN Summit to Adopt the Post-2015 Development Agenda in New York, in September.
- At the meeting, the representatives of the Republic of Korea and Sweden announced their 2015 contributions to PAGE. The European Commission updated participants on internal discussions to support PAGE.
- Despite commitment by existing funding partners, the DSC asked PAGE to consider expanding its funding base and reach out to new and non-traditional sources of funding. The Global Environment Facility, the Green Climate Fund, development assistance from emerging economies, the New Development Bank (BRICS bank), and new philanthropic sources of funding were mentioned.
II)Proceedings of the Meeting
1)Key Messages from Funding Partners’ Meeting on 28 April
PAGE funding partners met on 28 April, ahead of the DSC meeting, and shared the following points with PAGE agencies at the DSC meeting:
-Funding partners are pleased with PAGE progress and achievements to date.
-To securelong-term fundingPAGE should carefully analyse, identify and communicate its role. In particular, PAGE should identify which SDGs it is best positioned to support and focus its efforts on communicating it.
-It is crucial to distinguish PAGE from the number of other institutions working on the same topics in parallel processes. PAGE needs to avoid overlaps and find complementarities.
-Engaging ministries of finance and ensuring broad government commitment is key to PAGE success and a means to differentiate itself. Criteria for country selection should therefore reflect this.
-The coming months of 2015 are crucial in the international development agenda. PAGE and its achievements must be made visibleatinternational events, including the International Conference on Finance for Development,the UN Summit to Adopt the Post-2015 Development Agenda and the twenty-first session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC.
-PAGE partners should consider reaching out toadditional sources of funding, such as through the Finance for Development process, the Green Climate Fund, the Global Environment Facility (GEF), regional and multilateral financial institutions, and philanthropic sources.
-Funding partners appreciate the flexibility of PAGE to manage support for both core activities and for projects only, as needed by individual funding partners. Funding partners hoped this flexibility would be maintained.
2)2014 Highlights, Lessons Learned and Finances
PAGE Partners gave (i) an overview of the key activities and results achieved in 2014,(ii) lessons learned and (iii) the financial situation.The highlights of 2014 included the launching of the Lima Accord on Green Growth in Peru, the approval of the Green Development Strategy in Mongolia, various global advances such as the high-level PAGE event at the UN Environment Assembly in Nairobi to celebrate UNDP joining PAGE, the PAGE Green Economy Academy held in Turin in October, and the launch of three knowledge products.
TheAnnual Report 2014 was adopted. Funding partners expressed satisfaction with reporting against the new logical framework and identification of more realistic outcomes. The sections on challenges, risks,lessons learned and cooperation with other initiativeswereparticularly appreciated. The public annual report, distributed at the meeting, also received positive feedback.
Funding partners provided many helpful suggestions for future annual reports, including providing more details on:
-Financial section of the report;
-Results at country level and clearly linking activities to indicators;
-Prioritized economic sectorsin countries;
-Collaboration with other initiatives and relevant programmes in countries;
-Activities and “Green Economy Pioneers” in different regions, possibly through a world map.
During the discussion on PAGE finances, funding partners expressed interest in receiving more detailson expendituresand transaction costs. PAGE partners informed the DSC thatthat pledges by funding partners have different durations and cash disbursement schedules, making it difficult to exactly measure the implementation rate.It was also noted that the cash flowfor PAGE so far is unstable, which complicates planning for the near-term future. Cash flow stability is a requirement for improving delivery.It was proposed to work in close consultation with funding partners to revise the financial reporting format. Sweden announced a new contribution of approximately USD 170,000which PAGE gratefully acknowledged.
Funding partners expressed their satisfaction with the Management Response to the PAGE Inception Review, prepared in January 2015 by the PAGE partners. It was noted that the response demonstratedthe commitment and seriousness of PAGE partners. Funding partners encouraged PAGE to continue efforts to engage civil society, in addition to government stakeholders. They also encouraged collaboration with similar initiatives and exploring opportunities to support GEF and other relevant programmes.
3)Operational Strategy 2016-2020
The Operational Strategy was presented to the DSC and discussed in detail. It was agreed that the Strategy will be a “living document” to respond to the evolving global development agenda, the specific needs of PAGE countries and the availability of PAGE funds. The current version will be revised through email consultation with funding partners. Once revised, a concise version will be developed and used for communication, public outreachand fundraising purposes.
Points of agreement on the Operational Strategy included:
-The importance of linking PAGE to the international development agenda;
-The PAGE theory of change and itslogical framework;
-The PAGE approach to country engagement and exit strategy (sustainability);and
-The need to track the ripple effect despite attribution difficulties; and
-The foreseen funding gap.
The immediate revision of the Operational Strategy will include a focus on:
-Identifyingone SDG for which PAGE provides the greatest added value in terms of implementation and monitoring progress;
-Detailing specific strategies for approaching various sources of potential funding;
-Revising some elements of the logical framework, including clear targets, corresponding results and indicators.
The PAGE expansion strategy to engage 20 countries by 2020 was supported by many funding partners, while others preferred the original target of 30 countries. PAGE partners noted that through regional synergiesand a larger ripple effect, PAGE can reach additional countries beyond the agreed 20by 2020.To further improve efficient use of PAGE funds, each country engagement package can be customized both in terms of its content and duration.New partnerships and funding sources will be approached, including through UNDAFs, FAO, IFAD, private sector, regional development banks and national funding through the national delegations of bilateral donor agencies.
Funding partners welcomed a stronger focus on resource mobilization in the Strategy. PAGE is considered helpful in bringing needed resources into countries, which should be highlighted for resource mobilization.PAGE partners welcomedfunding partners’ suggestion for closer collaboration and possibly joint delivery with relevant initiatives, and noted that such collaboration is ongoing. Examples includejoint national workplans, joint missions and working through common national inter-ministerial committees with PEI and Switch Africa Green. In some cases initiatives share staff and develop joint country-level events.
Other points raised included:
-EC is considering a contribution to PAGE.
-Emerging economies, like those of the BRICS countries, could be sources of PAGEsupport.
-Themid-term evaluation of PAGE in 2016will enable Finland to decide on its future support for PAGE.
-Securing core funding is a challenge that should be addressed on a priority basis.
-Collective action by all PAGE partners to mobilize funds from additional donors could be highly effective.
4)Country Selection and Engagement Opportunities
PAGE partners presented the country selection process and application packagefor joining PAGE. Funding partners welcomed the new process and selection criteria, and expressed support for the criteria requiring inter-governmental commitment. Funding partners noted the need to ensure due diligence whilenot making the process too cumbersome for countries to join PAGE that will succeed in showcasing the transition toward IGE.The Republic of Korea suggested that the application package be made available through the UNDP office to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
Among the many thoughtful suggestions for improvements, the following were included:
-Governments could be asked to identify in their applicationsthe potential for co-financing and savings they will make from transitioning to an IGE.
-The application package should includea menu of services that PAGE can offer.
-The application package should share success stories from Mongolia and Peru, for example.
-The application package should include information on PAGE alignment with the global development agenda, for example climate change, inequality, unemployment, etc.
-As PAGE may not have the financial resources or capacity to support all strong applicants, it should connect/refer such applicants toother sources of support, for example,the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production (10YFP).
5)2015 Engagements and Forward Planning
PAGE partners provided an overview of planned activities in the current seven PAGE countries, including recently included South Africa. PAGE partners highlighted the processes of drafting country work plans and identifying priority areas in close cooperation with national stakeholders. PAGE partners also clarified how specificsectoralinterventions (under Outcome 2[1])collectively have a broader effect in creating the overall enabling environment (under Outcome 1[2]).
PAGE partners also provided the following updates:
-An action plan for South Africa is under development and will be approved by mid-June.
-PAGE partners are awaiting a joint request from the authorities of Jiangsuprovince of China.
-PAGE partners are exploring the best way to engage with Algeria and Barbados, which are not included in immediate activities in 2015.
PAGE partners also elaborated on links to other initiatives at both the global and national level. In particular, partners highlighted ongoing collaboration with 10YFP, PEI, GGGI and Switch Africa Green.
Funding partners agreed to collaboratewith PAGE partners on giving visibility to PAGE at key 2015 international eventsthrough side events, and inclusion of PAGE in official statements at global forums. Specifically, funding partners identified their interest in collaborating on a side event at the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, to be held in New York in June-July, and the Seventieth Session of the UN General Assembly in New York in September.Additional opportunities identified included the First Global Meeting of the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production, the World Resources Forum 2015 and relevant meetings of the International Resource Panel.
6)AOB
The Republic of Korea informed that an additional contribution to PAGE of USD 850,000 will be signed during the Asia Pacific Ministers Forum on 19-20 May in Bangkok. PAGE partners gratefully acknowledged this contribution.
7)Follow-Up Points
Points requiring follow up to the meeting include:
-Revise Operational Strategy 2016-2020 in collaboration with funding partners, including through iterative email comments on subsequent drafts.
-Increase visibility of PAGE and position it better at upcoming SDG meetings and other global forums.
-Work with interested donors on the preferred financial reporting format and content.
-Provide more detailed financial information in the next annual report.
-Finalize the country application package.
-Elaborate partnerships opportunities with other financing mechanisms and donors.
-Identify partnerships with other relevant initiatives at global and national level.
-Consultnational delegations of funding partners to support their priorities through PAGE.
8)Annexes
1)Agenda of the Third Donor Steering Committee Meeting
2)Participants list
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PAGE Third Donor Steering Committee Meeting
Wednesday, 29 April 2015, 09:00 to 17:00
ILO Building, Room VII – R3 South
4, Route des Morillons, Geneva
Agenda
8:40-9:00 / Coffee and croissants9:00-9:30 Session 1 / Welcome remarks
Co-moderated by Tim Kasten, UNEP and MarjaanaKokkonen, Finland
-Opening remarks
-Tour de table/welcoming new team members
-Messages from funding partners’ meeting on the 28 April
-Review and adoption of the agenda
9:30-10:45
Session 2 / 2014 - Highlights, Outcomes, Lessons Learned
Co-moderated by: AchimHalpaap, UNITAR and Philipp Ischer, SECO
-Outcomes presentation
-Lessons learned
Q&A
-Inputs from Inception Review and comments on PAGE Management Response (EinarTelnes, Norad)
Q&A
-Financial overview
Q&A
Inputs for discussion:
-PAGE Annual Progress Report 2014 (DSC_1_2015)
-Inception Review report (DSC_2_2015)
-Management Response (DSC_3_2015)
Expected outcomes:
-Adoption of the PAGE Annual Progress Report 2014
-Feedback on Management Response
10:45-11:00 / Coffee Break
11:00-13:00
Session 3 / Focus on the Future – PAGE Operational Strategy 2016-2020
Co-moderated by: Peter Poschen, ILO and GuriSandborg, Norway
-SDG links
-Theory of change
-Country engagement and sustainability
Q&A
-Expansion and resource mobilization
-Partnerships and communications
Q&A
Inputs for discussion:
-PAGE Operational Strategy 2016-2020 (DSC_4_2015)
Expected outcomes:
-Common vision on future PAGE activities
-Endorsement of PAGE Operational Strategy
13:00-14:00 / Lunch (ILO restaurant)
14:00-15:00
Session 4
15:00-16:00
Session 5 / Focus on the Future – Country Selection Process and Engagement Opportunities
Co-moderated by: Tim Scott, UNDP and Thibaut Portevin, EC
-Country selection process and application package
-Engagement opportunities
Inputs for discussion:
-PAGE Operational Strategy 2016-2020 Annex 5: Country Selection Process (DSC_4_2015)
-Application package (DSC_5_2015)
Expected outcomes:
-Feedback on country selection process
2015 Engagements and Forward Planning
Co-moderated by: Claudia Linke-Heep, UNIDO, and Alena White, Germany
-Highlights of upcoming activities
-Updates on South Africa and China
Q&A
-Links to other initiatives and partnerships
-Opportunities for future engagements
Q&A
Inputs for discussion:
-PAGE Operational Plan 2014-2015 (DSC_6_2015)
-South Africa – country fiche (DSC_7_2015)
-China, provincial level – country fiche (DSC_8_2015)
Expected outcomes:
-Sharing progress on country-level engagement
-Identification of opportunities for collaboration
16:00-16:15 / Coffee Break
16:15-16:30
Session 6 / AOB
Co-moderated by: Tim Kasten, UNEP and Jan Olsson, Sweden
16:30-17:00
Session 7 / Wrap-up and closing
Co-moderated by Tim Kasten, UNEPand Jan Olsson, Sweden
Next steps, next meeting, further communications
PAGE Third Donor Steering Committee Meeting, 29 April 2015
Participants’ List
1 / Mr. Thibaut Portevin / European Commission / Policy Officer, Forests and Green Economy; Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development /
2 / Mr. Jaime Reynolds (phone) / European Commission / Policy Officer, Post-2015 Including EU Implementation; Environment Directorate-General /
3 / Ms. MarjaanaKokkonen / Finland / Counselor, Unit for International Environment Policy, Ministry for Foreign Affairs /
4 / Ms. Heini Leppanen / Finland / Attache, Permanent Mission of Finland in Geneva /
5 / Ms. Alena White / Germany / Deputy Head of Division, Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB) /
6 / Ms. Mino Kim / Rep. of Korea / Program Officer, International Affairs Division, Ministry of Environment /
7 / Ms. GuriSandborg / Norway / Deputy Director General, Ministry of Climate and Environment /
8 / Mr. EinarTelnes / Norway / Director, Department for Climate, Energy and Environment; Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation /
9 / Ms. Kristine Berge Stubberud / Norway / Senior Adviser, Department for Climate, Energy and Environment; Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation /
10 / Mr. Jan Olsson / Sweden / Environmental Ambassador, Ministry of the Environment and Energy; Ministry for Foreign Affairs /
11 / Ms. GunillaBlomquist / Sweden / Deputy Director, Ministry of the Environment /
12 / Mr. Philipp Ischer / Switzerland / Programme Manager, State Secretariat for Economic Affairs /
13 / Ms. Martine Rohn-Brossard / Switzerland / Head of Section, Federal Office for the Environment /
14 / Tim Kasten / UNEP /
15 / Steven Stone / UNEP /
16 / Asad Naqvi / UNEP /
17 / Vera Weick / UNEP /
18 / SilviLlosa / UNEP /
19 / Hameed Jamali / UNEP /
20 / EirikLindebjerg / UNEP /
21 / PauliinaUpla / UNEP /
22 / Anja von Moltke / UNEP /
23 / Lennart Kuntze / UNEP /
24 / SatuOjaluoma / UNEP /
25 / Zhengzheng Qu / UNEP /
26 / Jose Pineda (phone) / UNEP /
27 / AchimHalpaap / UNITAR /
28 / AmreiHorstbrink / UNITAR /
29 / Peter Poschen / ILO /
30 / Kees van der Ree / ILO /
31 / Moustapha Kamal Gueye / ILO /
32 / DoritKemter / ILO /
33 / Karin Isaksson / ILO /
34 / Tim Scott / UNDP /
35 / Joseph D’Cruz / UNDP /
36 / Claudia Linke-Heep / UNIDO /
37 / Frank Van Rompaey / UNIDO /
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