23.15. THE GEF

♤ Article 11 of the UNFCCC creates a ‘financial mechanism’ for convention implementation, which is to function under the guidance of the UNFCCC COP and be accountable to the COP.

♤ Under Article 11(1), the COP is to decide on the financial mechanism’s policies, programme priorities and eligibility criteria relating to the convention.

♤ Article 21 names the GEF to serve as the financial mechanism on an interim basis.

♤ The GEF was established in 1991 by the World Bank in consultation with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), to provide funding to protect the global environment.

♤ The GEF’s governance, operational, financial and administrative oversight procedures are set out in the Instrument for the Establishment of the Restructured Global Environment Facility, which was adopted in 1994 and subsequently amended in 2002 (GEF Instrument).

♤ The GEF now has six focal areas:

1. biological diversity;

2. climate change;

3. international waters;

4. land degradation, primarily desertification and deforestation;

5. ozone layer depletion; and

6. persistent organic pollutants.

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Nepal has a rhino population of 645 and there have been no cases of rhino poaching in 2014 and 2015. Nepal’s zero poaching success is rooted in a coordinated national response.