Background
The Durban Forum on Capacity-building was established in 2011 under the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI) to further enhance the monitoring and review of the effectiveness of capacity-building under the Convention. It is an in-session discussion platform for Parties, representatives of the constituted bodies under the Convention, the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement, and relevant experts and practitioners to share experience and exchange ideas, best practices and lessons learned in relation to implementing capacity-building activities.
The Durban Forum is convened in alignment with the annual focus area of the Paris Committee on Capacity-building (PCCB), which for 2025 is "Capacity-building for holistic investment strategies, bankable projects, and stakeholder engagement to strengthen the implementation of NDCs and NAPs in developing countries".
Objective
Many developing countries face significant capacity gaps in designing investment strategies and bankable projects for their NDCs and NAPs, limiting their access to climate finance. These challenges are compounded by a fragmented capacity-building landscape that can be difficult to navigate effectively.
The 14th Durban Forum on Capacity-building will address these barriers by creating a dedicated platform for enhancing collaboration and coherence among capacity-building providers focused on climate finance mobilization. The Forum will bring together Parties, capacity-building organizations, academia, and other stakeholders to:
- Share best practices and lessons learned in developing holistic investment strategies and bankable projects;
- Identify ways to improve coordination and reduce fragmentation in capacity-building delivery;
- Strengthen connections between developing countries and relevant support providers;
- Develop actionable recommendations for enhancing the effectiveness and accessibility of capacity-building support provided.
Through scene-setting presentations, panel discussions, interactive breakout sessions, and networking opportunities, participants will gain practical insights into available capacity-building resources while contributing to a roadmap for more coordinated, effective support that helps developing countries retain critical skills and knowledge for climate finance mobilization.
| Time |
Topic and speakers |
| 15 min. |
Welcome remarks and introduction
- Julia Gardiner - SBI Chair
- Elvin Ashrafzade - COP29 Presidency
- Leonardo Feldman de Mattos - COP30 Presidency
- H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma - PCCB Co-Chair
- Cécile Schneider - PCCB Co-Chair
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| 30 min. |
Scene-setting presentations
- Cécile Schneider - PCCB Co-Chair
- Nicholas Taylor - Global Green Growth Institute
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| 45 min. |
Panel discussion and Q&A
- Frederick Manyika - Least Developed Countries Expert Group
- Albert Magalang - Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Philippines
- Eszter Mogyorosy - NDC Partnership, Center for Access to Climate Finance
- Abdelaziz Harib - Senior Negotiator, IPCC & Technology, United Arab Emirates
- Nicholas Taylor - Adaptation and Resilience Lead, Global Green Growth Institute
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Breakout group discussions - exchange of ideas and experiences |
| 45 min. |
Building capacity to enhance coherence and coordination among capacity-building providers: perspectives offered by developing countries.
Facilitated by Cécile Schneider and H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma.
Guiding questions:
- What opportunities or practical capacity-building activities exist in the context of investment strategy and bankable project design that your country or region has benefitted from?
- Are there certain capacity-building activities in these same contexts that are better suited to your country or region than others? If so, how can support providers consider these contexts when designing capacity-building activities
- What challenges exist in accessing these activities, and what advice would you give providers for improving this?
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Opportunities and challenges regarding moving from individual and institutional capacity building efforts, and vice-versa.
Facilitated by Eszter Mogyorosy and Sönke Marahrens.
Guiding questions:
- What are some recommendations for overcoming the disconnect between lack of individual capacity and tangible action at the institutional level for NDC and NAP implementation through finance?
- What opportunities for exploring synergies and enhancing coordination exist between the individual and institutional capacity-building levels in the context of project design and access to finance?
- What key stakeholders exist at the national/institutional levels that may be suitable to help with coherence and coordination, and how can they engage in this form of capacity-building for skillset retention?
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The role of academia, research institutions, civil society, and other national or subnational institutions in strengthening and retaining capacities.
Facilitated by Mizan Khan and Christine Gruening.
Guiding questions:
- What recommendations can you put forward in order to help ensure multi-level stakeholder engagement in creating and implementing capacity-building activities that focus on designing investment strategies and bankable projects for NDC and NAP implementation?
- What role do you see research playing in the design of related capacity-building activities?
- Can you share a success story on how your work (research, advocacy, etc.) was incorporated into a capacity-building initiative, and what the outcome of this was?
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| 15 min. |
Reporting back from breakout groups |
| 15 min. |
Closing remarks
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Cécile Schneider
Ms. Cécile Schneider is a team lead at the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), where she manages 10 advisers to the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development in the field of climate finance and mitigation. She also serves as a current Co-Chair of the Paris Committee on Capacity-building.
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Credit: H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma
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H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma
H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma Burkina Faso is a current Co-Chair of the Paris Committee on Capacity-building. She brings over 20 years of experience in rural development and local community work, as well as with the United Nations.
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Julia Gardiner
Ms. Julia Gardiner serves as Chair of the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI). She brings over a decade of experience in climate negotiations and has previously held roles in the Australian government and as part of the Australian delegation to the UNFCCC.
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Nicholas Taylor
Nicholas Taylor is the Adaptation and Resilience Lead at the Global Green Growth Institute where he leads workstreams relating to NAPs, adaptation investment projects and urban resiliency programming. Prior to his work with GGGI, Nicholas held roles with various UN agencies, the ADB and the Rockefeller Foundation.
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Eszter Mogyorosy
Ms. Eszter Mogyorósy is a Climate Finance Associate for the NDC Partnership Support Unit. She manages the activities of the Center for Access to Climate Finance, an initiative that delivers global thought leadership in the field of climate finance access.
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Elvin Ashrafzade
Mr. Elvin Ashrafzade is a representative from the COP29 Presidency. He is the lead adaptation and loss & damage negotiator for Azerbaijan, as well as a diplomat at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
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Credit: UN climate change
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Leonardo Feldman de Mattos
Mr. Leonardo Feldman de Mattos is a representative from the COP30 Presidency.
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Credit: UN climate change
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Frederick Manyika
Mr. Frederick Manyika is a Principal Forest Officer at the Tanzania Government Actuary's Department. He also serves as a representative of the UNFCCC's Least Developed Countries Expert Group (LEG).
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Credit: UN climate change
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Albert Magalang
Mr. Albert Magalang serves as Chief of the Climate Change Office of the Philippines Department of Environment and Natural Resources. He represents the Philippine delegation to the sessions of the UNFCCC.
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Abdelaziz Harib
Abdelaziz Harib serves as a Director in the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Industry & Advanced Technology, as well as a senior negotiator for the UAE on the topic of IPCC & Technology at sessions of the UNFCCC.
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Sönke Marahrens
Mr. Sönke Marahrens is an Advisor on Climate Finance Readiness at the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, supporting partner countries to plan and access climate finance. He focuses on Adaptation Finance and has previously worked on NAP processes in francophone sub-Saharan Africa.
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Credit: Dr. Mizan R. Khan
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Dr. Mizan R. Khan
Prof. Dr. Mizan R. Khan is the Technical Lead of the LDC Universities Consortium on Climate Change (LUCCC) and LDC Coordinator of the ACE agenda of the UNFCCC process. Since 2001, Prof. Khan has been attending the climate negotiations as a member of the Bangladesh delegation.
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