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What is a multiplier effect? Who are potential partners?
A multiplier effect results when the participation of various groups,
not strictly government players, contribute to the development and realization
of goals. Programmes jointly developed and/or implemented can increase participation,
resources and commitment to solutions to deal with the impact of climate change.
Different groups, such as the business community, local governments,
non-government organizations have embarked on unique apporaches to develop solutions
to address the impact of climate change. The cases cited below are not exhaustive
rather they are illustrative of mechanisms to incorporate participation.
More importantly they may alert the Parties to consider strategic partnerships
that can evolve should Parties choose to develop relationships at the country-level.
Actions of international financial institutions (IFIs) have
been guided by international conventions signed by the international community,
which address public consultation and participation. Among the Conventions that
have set the trend for endorsing the fundamental rights of public participation
in achieving sustainable development and environmental protection are the Rio
Declaration, Agenda 21 and the Aarhus Convention. These conventions recognize
the pillars of environmental responsibility and sustainable development as:
1) public access to information,
2) meaningful public participation in decision-making,
and
3) access to justice, including redress and remedy.
Agenda 21 further states that:
“One of the fundamental pre-requisites for the achievement
of sustainable development is broad public participation in decision-making…This
includes the need of individuals, groups, and organisations to participate in
environmental impact assessment procedures and to know about and participate in
decisions, particularly those which potentially affect communities in which they
live and work.” (Agenda 21, Chapter 23.2)
Translated into application, examples abound from the local to
the international level.
At a local government level it implies ensuring that
information is available, that the public is notified and consulted, and community
building takes place. The experience of the City of Ottawa is reflective of many
cities’ practices. Specifically at the local government level a public consultation
programme includes five elements: notification, seeking input, dialogue and consensus
building, feedback and follow-up and evaluation (City of Ottawa, “The City
and Citizens Developing the Partnership: Public Consultation”, 1991).
The Global Environment Facility’s (GEF) policy on public
involvement in GEF-financed projects is embodied in a set of principles approved
in 1996 by the GEF Council. The Council defined public involvement as consisting
of three related processes, “information dissemination, consultation and stakeholder
participation.” (Washington,
“Public Involvement in GEF-financed Projects”, 1996).
Among the definitions reviewed by the GEF Council were:
a) stakeholders: individuals, groups
or institutions that have an interest or stake in the outcome of a GEF-financed
project;
b) information dissemination: the availability and distribution of timely
and relevant information on the GEF-financed projects including appropriate notification
and disclosure of project information and public access to it;
c) consultation: deals with information exchanges and provides opportunities
for communities and local groups to contribute to project design, implementation
and evaluation;
d) stakeholder participation: stakeholders are collaboratively engaged
at various stages of the project cycle from design and throughout evaluation.
The GEF principles on public involvement:
Effective public involvement should enhance the
social, environmental, and financial sustainability of projects.
Responsibility for assuring public involvement rests within
the country, normally with the government, project executing agency or agencies.
The Implementing Agencies should be supportive to this end.
Public involvement activities should be designed and implemented
in a flexible manner, adapting and responding to recipient countries' national
and local conditions and to project requirements.
To be effective, public involvement activities should be
broad and sustainable. The Implementing Agencies will include in project budgets,
as needed, the financial and technical assistance necessary for recipient governments
and project executing agencies to ensure effective public involvement.
Public involvement activities will be conducted in a transparent
and open manner. All GEF-financed projects should have full documentation of
public involvement activities.
The rationale underlying the GEF’s principles were founded upon
the belief derived from their experience that effective public involvement:
* enhanced recipient country ownership of and accountability
for project outcomes;
* helped to address the social and economic needs of affected
people;
* helped to build partnerships among project executing agencies
and stakeholders;
* ensured the use of skills, experience and knowledge of
NGOs, community and local groups, and the private sector in the design, implementation
and evaluation of project activities.
A paper, "Public Participation in the CDM and JI: Precedents set by international
financial institutions(IFIs)" prepared by B. Haya, A. Herzog and J. Lewis
was presented at an NGO-sponsored side event during COP 6. It reviewed the
treaties and official documents which described the environmental guidelines
and public consultation and disclosure policies of six IFIs. Their
goal in so-doing was to urge negotiators of the need for the Kyoto Protocol’s
CDM and JI to live up to already-existing environmental and social standards which
have been set by the IFIs. Among the findings:
a) All institutions had public consultation and
comments in the development of their current environmental policy guidelines;
b) Public consultation is required by the International Finance
Corporation(IFC), World Bank, Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA),
and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) during the preparation
of project Environmental Assessment documents;
c) The World Bank, IFC and MIGA policies require an Indigenous
Peoples Development Document for projects that affect indigenous communities;
d) The World Bank, IFC, MIGA, EBRD require that project
documents be disclosed in a public place in both a format and language(s) accessible
and understandable to project affected groups and local stakeholders, in addition
to posting project documents on the internet;
e) 60-day comment periods are required on project Environmental
Impact Assessment documents before Board consideration;
f) Online project registries are accessible to the public;
g) The World Bank has an inspection panel that reviews and
evaluates appeals by directly affected parties and both the IFC and MIGA have
a Compliance Advisor/Ombudsman whose function is to hear project appeals.
A World Bank document states that “Experience has shown
a strong link between project sustainability and effective public consultation.”
Further, the IFC has learned that public participation will foster social
and environmental benefits because local knowledge is tapped, timely notice
is provided, and the benefits flowing to indigenous and other local people are
enhanced by enabling project developers to better recognise community needs.
Among the economic benefits of public participation formally
recognised by the IFC are the reduction in the financial risks of
projects by achieving local public support and avoiding costly political opposition,
legal action or local unrest. As well, direct costs savings can
be made as a result of local knowledge that can help to identify cost-effective
mitigation measures.
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