| Cooperation
Dialogue with Development Agencies
Development agencies can make a difference and
contribute with SCP. Even though most of them are not familiar
with the concept, they integrate SCP issues in their sectoral
projects, such as energy and resource efficiency, waste management,
water and sanitation, food and sustainable agriculture, poverty
reduction, and rural development.
The Cooperation Dialogue is a space offered
by the Marrakech Process to engage development agencies, regional
banks, and SCP experts from both developing and developed countries
in the promotion of SCP and in exploring and highlighting the
benefits of SCP for poverty reduction.
The Cooperation Dialogue Sessions were launched
at the Second International Expert Meeting on the Marrakech Process
(Costa
Rica 2005). It was co-chaired by Mr. Sherif Arif, World Bank
and Mr. James Riordan, Mr. Environment Canada, with a good participation
of development agencies including the Finnish Development Agency,
the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the Dutch
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation, the Spanish
Agency for International Cooperation (AECA), the Swedish Agency
for International Development (SIDA). As a result, the experts
and the representatives of the development agencies discussed
and identified that:
- Poverty eradication is a priority,
with a particular focus on the Millennium Development Goals
- Development agencies are responsive
to the objectives and priorities set by recipient governments
in national development plans
- Aspects of sustainable development
and/or environmental sustainability are often included in national
development plans, but there are generally no specific references
to SCP
- Engaging development agencies in the
Marrakech Process can best be done by including SCP in national
development plans
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| Sherif Arif (World Bank), Adriana Zacarias
(UNEP), and James Riordan (Ministry of Environment of Canada) |
As a result of the first Cooperation Dialogue
Sessions, the following activities were recommended for follow
up:
- Undertake a review
of existing SCP-related projects supported by development agencies
as a basis for considering how better to integrate SCP in development
plans and identify opportunities to increase access to available
development funds
- Continue the dialogue between SCP experts
and development agencies and organize similar sessions at the
Third International Expert Meeting on the 10-Year Framework
of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production (Marrakech+4,
Sweden 2007)
- Estimate the costs of inaction and the benefits
of SCP
Links:
Second Dialogue Sessions at Stockholm
The Second Dialogue Sessions of the Cooperation
Dialogue was organised during the Stockholm International Meeting
(2007) with the participation of around 25 participants from as
many organisations and countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin
America and North America. The session was co-chaired by Mr. Phil
Dobie of UNDP-UNEP Poverty and Environment Facility UNDP and Octavio
Peralta of the Association of Development Financing Institutions
in Asia & Pacific (ADFIAP). The participants pointed out the
following key recommendations to build more cooperation between
SCP experts and development agencies in the promotion of SCP patterns:
- Extend the dialogue beyond development cooperation
agencies to recipient governments to integrate SCP approaches
in national development agendas
- Develop tools for implementation of SCP programmes
(e.g. knowledge management, SCP toolkits under development by
the Task Forces, and SCP checklist for development projects
- Undertake research on the links between poverty
and SCP and to document economic and social benefits of applying
this approach
- Review the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness
to see how SCP can secure high-level attention and how the 10YFP
could complement that declaration
The Cooperation Dialogue also identified that
it can contribute to the further development of the 10YFP through:
- Establishing a working group to support the
Development Cooperation Dialogue in developing a vision and
work plan, and specific areas and projects for collaboration.
This group might also serve as a steering committee to guide
the UNEP
project on SCP and poverty alleviation (PDF - 606 KB)
- Extend the Dialogue to a broader spectrum
of development cooperation partners (national and regional development
banks and financial institutions, investors, foundations, interested
commercial banks) to find ways to advance SCP activities developed
by Marrakech Task Forces, National Clean Product Centres and
other stakeholders' initiatives
- Compile an online database of SCP projects
that could be presented to this broader spectrum of development
cooperation partners
Link:
- Meeting
Report (PDF - 248 KB) and Co-chairs Summary of the Third
International Expert Meeting on 10YFP (Stockholm Meeting)
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