Notes on Biodiversity Stakeholders Meeting 28 Jan 11

Here are some notes by Ana Tiraa who attending this meeting at the National Environment Service on our behalf.

GEF 4 Projects

1. Invasive Species GEF-PAS regional project.

· Involves 10 Pacific Island Countries including the Cooks.

· SPREP is coordinating regionally.

· Inception workshop for the Cooks tentatively planned for April. The workshop will develop specific activities for the Cook Islands.

· Before the inception workshop, another Biodiversity Stakeholders committee meeting will be held.

· Arrangements to implement the project at the national level briefly discussed. Should a specific person be employed to coordinate or should the biodiversity unit coordinate as part of govt’s contribution to the project? This will be confirmed at the next stakeholders meeting.

2. Integrated Island Biodiversity Project.

· Funded by the GEF-PAS

· Regional project involving 4 pacific island countries, the Cooks being one of them.

· SPREP regional coordinating body

· NES has asked SPREP that the Inception Workshop for the Invasive Species project include planning for the Integrated Island Biodiversity project

· E copies of these project’s Logframes to be circulated.

MoU – Government and Civil Society.

· The purpose is to improve coordination and collaboration between organisations working biodiversity related activities.

· Developed by Gerald McCormack in 2006.

· Feedback and comments on document sought. Doc to be circulated.

Global Eenvt Facility (GEF) 5 – STAR. (System for Transparent Allocation of Resources)

· This is the 5th replenishment round of the GEF, which is currently underway.

· Need to start planning for projects related to Climate Change, Biodiversity and Land degradation that can be supported by STAR

· Approach on a national level rather than regional (as compared to GEF-PAS, which is in the GEF 4 replenishment)

2011 is the “Year of forest”.

· NES has funds to carry out activities under this initiative. It will be used to support activities for wetland

· Plan to highlight the value of wetlands.