B.11/03: Strategic plan for the Green Climate Fund (progress report)

The Board, having considered document GCF/B.11/Inf.07/Rev.01 titled “Strategic plan for the Green Climate Fund (progress report)”:

1. Takes note of the submissions made by Board members and constituencies (document GCF/B.11/Inf.07/Rev.01) as requested by decision B.10/14;
2. Notes convergence on the importance and need to set out a strategic plan for the Green Climate Fund (GCF) in order to further operationalize the Governing Instrument for the GCF and guide the GCF as a continuously learning institution in further developing its operational modalities, with a view to achieving its overarching objective to promote the paradigm shift towards low-emission and climate-resilient development pathways in the context of sustainable development;
3. Also notes convergence that the strategic plan should:
   
   1. Be guided by the Governing Instrument and the objectives and guiding principles laid out therein, including the arrangements with the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, as per decision GCF/B.05/16, as well as build on the progress already made through previous Board decisions;
   2. Be a living document to be reviewed and updated on a regular basis, as determined by the Board;
   3. Clearly articulate to the world the vision and operational priorities of the GCF, thereby making it more accessible to countries and strengthening its partnerships with national designated authorities/focal points and accredited entities;
   4. Identify opportunities, policy gaps and challenges in operationalizing these objectives and guiding principles;
   5. Present an action plan for the implementation of strategic measures to address these opportunities, gaps and challenges in order to strengthen the GCF as the distinctly transformational, high-impact, country-owned, dedicated climate fund, operating at scale; and
   6. With regard to the strategic measures referred to in paragraph (c) (v) above, place a particular focus on:
      
      1. Allowing the GCF to scale up its investments in developing countries with the objective of tapping its full potential to promote urgent and ambitious actions enhancing climate change adaptation and mitigation in the context of sustainable development, and to maximize engagement with the private sector;
      2. Setting out the approach of the GCF to programming and investing the Initial Resource Mobilization resources, while striving to maximize the impact of its funding for adaptation and mitigation, and seek a balance between the two;
      3. Ensuring that the GCF is responsive to developing country needs and priorities, while ensuring country ownership, enhancing direct access, ensuring fast disbursement, implementing a gender-sensitive approach, supporting multi-stakeholder engagement, ensuring the effective use of funds and enhancing transparency;
4. Decides to establish an ad hoc group of members of the Board/alternate members of the Board consisting of three developing country members (Mr. Omar El-Arini, two additional names to be added) and three developed country members (Mr. Henrik Harboe, Mr. Leonardo Martinez-Diaz, and Mr. Karsten Sach) to oversee and guide the Secretariat’s preparation of the strategic plan;
5. Requests the Secretariat to facilitate the work of the ad hoc group;
6. Also requests the ad hoc group of members to base their deliberations in particular on the submissions made by members and the comments made at the eleventh meeting of the Board and to ensure an inclusive engagement process with all Board/alternate members;
7. Invites members of the Board/alternate members of the Board, active observers and observer organizations to make submissions to the Secretariat on the elements contained in paragraph (c) above by 1 December 2015;
8. Requests the Secretariat to publish all submissions on the GCF website;
9. Decides to hold an informal meeting of the Board open to active observers well before the twelfth meeting of the Board that would address the strategic plan as one of the key issues for its consideration, and requests the ad hoc group to present an initial draft and guiding questions requiring further consideration by the Board as input to the informal discussions of the Board. In this regard, the Board requests the Secretariat to make the necessary arrangements; and
10. Requests the Secretariat, under the direction and guidance of the ad hoc group of members of the Board/alternate members of the Board, to present a strategic plan for the GCF for consideration and possible approval by the Board at its twelfth meeting