Introduction
The Least Developed Countries Fund
(LDCF) was established to support a work programme to assist Least Developed Country Parties
(LDCs) carry out, inter alia, the preparation and implementation of national
adaptation programmes of action (NAPAs).
The Global Environment Facility (GEF), as the
entity that operates the financial mechanism, has been entrusted to operate this Fund through
decision 27/CP.7.
Further Developments
The Conference of the Parties, at its eleventh session (COP 11),
agreed on provisions to operationalize the LDCF to support the
implementation of NAPAs. In particular, the COP provided guidance with regards to priority
areas and provisions on full-cost funding and co-financing scale (Decision
3/CP.11).
The Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI 26), May 2007
(FCCC/SBI/2007/L.2) recognized the need for the GEF to continue its efforts to mobilize
additional resources to support the implementation of NAPAs, and invited Parties and
intergovernmental organizations to submit to the UNFCCC secretariat information on implementation of
NAPAs, including on accessing funds from the LDCF. The SBI 26 also asked the Least
Developed Countries Expert Group (LEG) to consider experiences in accessing funding from the LDCF
as one of the issues to be discussed at a stocktaking meeting and report to the SBI. The SBI decided
to continue its deliberations on the LDCF at its twenty-ninth session, with a view to preparing an
input for COP 14, to enable the COP to assess progress in the implementation of Decision
3/CP.11.
The COP, at its fourteenth session (COP 14), requested
the SBI to review, at its thirty-third session (COP16),
the experiences gained in preparing and implementing NAPAs,
including in accessing funds from the LDCF. As a contribution to the review, the COP
also invited Parties and relevant organizations to submit information on the preparation and
implementation of NAPAs, including on accessing funds from the LDCF. The COP 14 also requested the
GEF, in parallel to supporting the ongoing implementation of NAPAs, to facilitate the implementation of the remaining elements of the LDC work
programme.
The COP, at its sixteenth session (COP 16), reiterated
its request to the GEF, as an operating entity of the financial mechanism of the Convention operating
the LDCF, in parallel to supporting the ongoing implementation of NAPA, to facilitate the implementation of the remaining elements of the LDC work
programme. The COP also requested the GEF to provide funding from the LDCF to LDC Parties,
upon request, to enable the update of their NAPA with a
view to further improving their quality, to facilitate the integration of LDC adaptation actions into
development planning and to reflect increased adaptation knowledge and changed priorities in the
countries.
The COP, at its seventeenth session (COP 17) requested
the GEF to continue to provide information to the LDCs to further clarify project baselines and the
application for accessing funding from the LDCF in order to develop and implement projects under
NAPAs to address the effects of climate change, as well as to support the development of a
programmatic approaches for the implementation of NAPAs by those LDC Parties who wish to do so; to
further explore opportunities to streamline the LDCF project cycle, particularly during the project
preparation stage. Additionally, the GEF was requested to further improve the provision of
information to LDCs on the project development process for projects being considered under the
LDCF.
Furthermore, the COP requested the LEG to provide further specification
each of the elements of the least developed countries work programme other than the NAPAs, in
consultation with the GEF and report to the SBI at its thirty-sixth session, with a view to informing
the COP on guidance to be provided to the GEF on support for the implementation of the elements of
the least developed countries work programme other than the national adaptation programmes of
action;
In its guidance to the GEF, COP 17, in 
decision -/CP.17, requested the GEF to clarify the concept of additional costs as applied to
different types of adaptation projects under the LDCF which seek to respond to climate change risks,
and, furthermore, to continue to provide financial resources to developing countries for
strengthening existing and, where needed, establishing national and regional systematic observation
and monitoring networks under the LDCF.
LDC Parties were invited by COP 17 to provide details on project
processing to the LEG for it to compile and analyse, with a view to providing results of the analysis
to the COP, for its consideration at its eighteenth session.
Key Decisions
Decision -/CP.17: The Financial mechanism of the Convention: Least Developed Countries
Fund: support for the implementation of elements of the least developed countries work programme
other than national adaptation programmes of action;
5/CP.16: Further guidance for the operation of the Least Developed Countries
Fund;
5/CP.14:
Further guidance for the operation of the Least Developed Countries Fund;
3/CP.11:
Further guidance for the operation of the Least Developed Countries Fund;
6/CP.9: Further
guidance for the operation of the Least Developed Countries Fund;
8/CP.8:
Guidance to an entity entrusted with the operation of the financial mechanism of the Convention, for
the operation of the Least Developed Countries Fund;
28/CP.7: Guidelines for the preparation of national adaptation programmes of action (see
paragraph 4);
27/CP.7: Guidance to an entity entrusted with the operation of the financial mechanism
of the Convention, for the operation of the least developed countries fund;
7/CP.7: Funding under the Convention (see paragraph 6);
5/CP.7: Implementation of Article 4, paragraphs 8 and 9, of the Convention (decision
3/CP.3 and Article 2, paragraph 3, and Article 3, paragraph 14, of the Kyoto Protocol) (see paragraph
12).
Key Documents
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GEF Operational Guidelines for Expedited Funding for the Preparation of National Adaptation
Programs of Action by Least Developed Countries, April 2002
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click here
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GEF Programming Paper for Funding the Implementation of NAPAs under the LDC Trust Fund, May
2006
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GEF/C.28/18
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GEF Comparative Advantages of the GEF Agencies, June 2007
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GEF/C.31/5 rev.1
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GEF Results-Based Management Framework for LDCF and SCCF, October 2008
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GEF/LDCF.SCCF.5/3
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GEF Implementation of Results-Based Management Framework under the LDCF and SCCF, November
2009
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GEF/LDCF.SCCF.7/4
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GEF Accessing Financing under the Least Developed Countries Fund, July 2010
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GEF/LDCF.SCCF.8/3
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GEF Updated Handbook Technology Needs Assessment for Climate Change November 2010
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click
here
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GEF Accessing Financing under the Least Developed Countries Fund, May 2011
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click here
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Latest updates on the SCCF/LDCF
Latest GEF Annual
Reports to the COP
Stocktaking Meeting Report (FCCC/SBI/2007/32)
Submissions by Parties and relevant
organizations on the LDC Fund
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