United Nations Development Programme s10
Proposal for Clearing House Mechanism (CHM) for Guinea-Bissau
Country Name: Guinea-Bissau
Project Title: Establishment of Clearing House Mechanism.
Country eligibility: CBD ratified October 1995.
GEF Financing: US$ 14,000
GEF Implementing Agency: UNDP
National Executing Agency: Directorate General of the Environment
GEF Operational Focal Point: Head, Environment Management. Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment
CHM Focal Point: Directorate General of the Environment
Estimated Starting Date: April 2001
Duration: 3 months
Background:
Guinea-Bissau is a party to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The Convention entered into force, at a global level on 29 December 1993, while Guinea-Bissau ratified it on 7 July 1995. As a party to the CBD Guinea-Bissau is obliged to implement the provisions of the CBD and subsequent decisions taken by the Conferences of Parties (COP) of the Convention on Biological Diversity.
Articles 17 and 18 of the Convention clearly specify the role of the Clearing-House Mechanism (CHM) to promote the technical and scientific cooperation among parties to CBD. Guinea-Bissau is now implementing a project carrying the activities associated with the implementation of Article 6b with support from a GEF funded Enabling Activity (BSAP) project GBS/97/G31 entitled “National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan and Preparation of First National Report for the Conference of Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity.”
After civil strife, Guinea-Bissau and its CHM focal point, the Directorate General of the Environment are both currently unable to participate in the CHM due to the lack of adequate computer equipment, internet access and qualified human capacity. Guinea-Bissau is hence requesting for support for the basic implementation of the CHM provisions through training, appropriate equipment acquisition and connectivity to the internet.
Goal:
The ultimate goal of this project is to strengthen the human and institutional capacities for the national Clearing House Mechanism of CBD in Guinea-Bissau.
Objectives:
1) To facilitate exchange of information on biodiversity; and
2) To facilitate scientific and technical cooperation between Guinea-Bissau and other parties to the convention.
Input
Estimated Cost Norm. (US $) / Actual Proposed (US$)Group I and II
Option A: Direct Assistance
Hardware (PC of appropriate configuration) / 0-4,000 / 4,000
Software (Internet browsers and required software) / 0-1,000 / 1,000
Modem / 0-500 / 500
Recurrent Access Costs to the Internet service provider including storing of national CHM website on server
(recurrent costs to end of CHM pilot phase 1998) / 0- 3,800 / 3,800
Technician Set-up Fees / 500-700 / 700
Internet and E-mail training / 1,000- 4,000 / 4,000
Total / 1,500- 14,000 / 14,000
Output:
1) The Implementation of the convention (CBD) in Guinea-Bissau will use learned lessons from the global database of the CBD’s CHM;
2) The internet technology of communication used to exchange available information will help in sharing data quality and will allow feedback and regular updating;
3) Strengthening existing biological database in particular with flora, fauna and micro-organisms within the country; and
4) To promote the application of new technology in data management.
Special features:
The request from Guinea-Bissau support to access CHM of CBD is on the upper limit of the cost norms as there is only one internet provider in the country with expensive training and support services, and after the war all imported equipment prices, such as those of computers and printers, have high rocketed. The funds requested here will be managed as an add-on to the ongoing BSAP project.