Opening remarks, welcoming the participants and introduction of the Inception Workshop

This session is aimed at presenting the mandate from COP 23 for the UNFCCC secretariat, in collaboration with the operating entities, multilateral and bilateral institutions to assist developing countries identifying their needs and priorities and to facilitate the mobilization of resources to address these priorities. In particular, the session will outline the Needs-based Climate Finance Project, its objectives and work plan.

Welcoming remarks

Mr. Ayman Shasly, Chair, Arab Group of Climate Negotiators, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Mr. Djamel Djaballah, Director, Housing, Environment and Water Resources Department, League of Arab States

Ms. Roula Majdalani, Director, Sustainable Development Policies Division, ESCWA

Signing ceremony of the Exchange of Letters for the Needs-based Finance project in the Arab region

Introduction, overview and expectations of the Inception Workshop

Mr. Yolando (Lando) Velasco, Manager, Climate Finance Sub-Programme, Finance, Technology and Capacity Building Programme, UNFCCC

Session 1: Regional and country assessments of climate needs and priorities

The session will look into the climate finance needs of Arab countries, as articulated in the national reports to the Convention secretariat such as Nationally Determined Contributions, National Communications, Biennial Update Reports, National Adaptation Plans and Technology Needs Assessments.

This session will also highlight and review efforts at the national and regional level in assessing climate finance needs and priorities, including methodologies and processes used.

Insights on the needs of Arab States

Overview of the needs of Arab States as identified in national climate change strategies, plans and communications (Presentation)

Ms. Samah van Lengerich, Associate Programme Officer, Climate Finance Sub-programme, Finance, Technology and Capacity-Building, UNFCCC

Country case study: The Kingdom of Bahrain’s experience in mobilizing and accessing climate finance (Presentation)

Mr. Hussain Makki, Advisor, National Oil & Gas Authority, Kingdom of Bahrain

Country Case Study: Sudan’s experience in assessing its climate finance needs and priorities (Presentation)

Mr. Adil Mohamed Ali, Project Manager, Higher Council for Environment and Natural Resources, Sudan

Open discussions

Moderator: Mr. Kamal Djemouai, Advisor of the African Group of Negotiators, Algeria

Coffee break

Session 2: Overview of global and regional climate finance flows

This session will present an overview of the state of climate finance at the international and regional level based on information contained in the biennial assessment and overview of climate finance and other sources of information provided by international financial institutions.

Overview of the State of Climate Finance

Overview of climate finance in the context of the Convention and the Paris Agreement

Mr. Ayman Shasly, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Overview of global and regional climate finance flows from 2010-2017

Mr. Padraig Oliver, Programme Officer, Climate Finance Sub-programme, Finance, Technology and Capacity-Building, UNFCCC (Presentation)

Mr. Daniel Griswold, Associate Programme Officer, Water Resources Section, Sustainable Development Policies Division, ESCWA (Presentation)

Open discussions

Moderator: Ms. Roula Majdalani, ESCWA

Breakout group discussions and plenary reporting

The participants will be invited to discuss the following:

• What are the key climate needs and priorities of the countries and the region?
• What information is useful for the development of needs-based climate finance strategies?
• What type of information do countries use when formulating funding proposals for projects and programmes?

Breakout group Moderators:

Breakout Group 1:  LAS

Breakout Group 2:  UNFCCC

Breakout Group 3:  UNESCWA

Session Moderator:  Mr. Kamal Djemouai, Advisor of the African Group of Negotiators, Algeria

Session 3: Thematic and sectoral assessment of needs and priorities

This session will focus on the experiences of countries, multilateral and bilateral organization in undertaking thematic and sectoral needs assessments to spur economic diversification and adaptation with mitigation co-benefits in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication. In doing so, this session will discuss priority sectors such as water, agriculture, health, forestry, biodiversity and ecosystems, energy, etc., as well as technology and capacity needs.

Presentations

Case Study: The experience of GCC countries in assessing energy needs

Ms. Noura Mansouri, Senior Research Associate, Energy Transitions and Electric Power, King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center

Case Study: Sudan’s experience in assessing technology needs and needs related to gender (Presentation)

Ms. Hanadi Awadalla Abdelrasoul Awadalla, Forest National Corporation, Sudan

Case Study: Economic diversification

Mr. Albara Tawfiq, Policy Advisor, Ministry of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Open discussions

Moderator: Mr. Arnault Graves, Senior Climate Advisor, Secretariat of the Union for the Mediterranean

Breakout group discussions and plenary reporting

Participants will be invited, to discuss, among others, the following:

• Which tools and approaches have countries used to assess sectoral needs, and what are the findings?
• What approaches do countries and institutions use to assess, address and retain capacity-building needs?
• What is the role of technologies in underpinning economic diversification?

Session Moderator: Mr. Arnault Graves, Senior Climate Advisor, Secretariat of the Union for the Mediterranean

Breakout group Moderators:

Breakout Group 1:  LAS

Breakout Group 2:  UNFCCC

Breakout Group 3:  UNESCWA

Session Moderator: Mr. Arnault Graves, Senior Climate Advisor, Secretariat of the Union for the Mediterranean

Session 4: Country and regional experiences in climate finance

This session highlights efforts at the national and regional levels to mobilize and access climate finance, including efforts in strengthening national institutions

Presentations

Country Case Study: Egypt’s experience in assessing its climate finance needs and priorities (Presentation)

Mr. Amr Osama Abdel-Aziz, President, Integral Consult, Egypt

Open discussions

Moderator: Ms. Bolormaa Enkhbat, Country Programming Division - AP – Regional Desk Support for Asia Pacific, Green Climate Fund

Session 5: Enhancing mobilization of and access to international public climate finance

This session is aimed at presenting different sources of climate finance, including bilateral and multilateral, both public and private, as well as international and regional. The session will outline a general comparative analysis of requirements, guidelines and conditions for accessing the different international and regional public climate finance.

Presentations

Enhancing Access to Multilateral Climate Funds

Ms. Leila Benali, Chief Economist, Energy Economics and Sustainability Department, Arab Petroleum Investments Corporation (Presentation)

Ms. Bolormaa Enkhbat, Country Programming Division - AP – Regional Desk Support for Asia Pacific, Green Climate Fund (Presentation)

Mr. Dustin Schinn, Regional Climate Change Specialist, UNDP (Presentation)

Open discussions

Moderator: Mr. Daouda Ndiaye, Lead Climate Change Specialist, Islamic Development Bank

Day 2 (Thursday, 7 November 2019)

Designing the Arab Climate Finance Mobilization and Access Strategy

Session 6: Financial instruments 

This session will present different financial instruments deployed at the regional level to mobilize climate finance, and the types of activities they are supporting. It will also investigate the role of the private sector in the mobilization of resources to support climate actions in the region, including public-private partnerships.

Presentations

Country case study: Egypt’s experience in deploying different financial instruments. (Presentation)

Ms. Hala Farag, Manager, Ministry of Finance, Egypt

The World Bank’s experience in the provision of financial instruments (Presentation)

Mr. Adeel Abbas Syed, Senior Operations Officer, World Bank

IsDB’s experience in the provision of financial instruments (Presentation)

Mr. Daouda Ndiaye, Lead Climate Change Specialist, Islamic Development Bank

Open discussions

Moderator: Mr. Dustin Schinn, Regional Climate Change Specialist, UNDP

Breakout group discussions and plenary reporting

The participants will identify potential investment and south-south cooperation opportunities and discuss the following, in particular:

• How can investment patterns be oriented to facilitate economic diversification and sustainable development to meet the goals set out under the Convention and the Paris Agreement?
• Which sectors and climate priorities can the private sector play an active role in the region?
• How can fiscal policies incentivize public and private sector investments in climate action?

Breakout group Moderators:

Breakout Group 1:  LAS

Breakout Group 2:  UNFCCC

Breakout Group 3:  UNESCWA

Open discussions

Moderator: Mr. Dustin Schinn, Regional Climate Change Specialist, UNDP

Session 7: Translating needs into action

This session will take a closer look at the countries’ experience in translating identified needs into action. In particular, this session will look at:

• Climate Change Vulnerability in the Arab Region
• Regional strategies such as the Arab Framework Action Plan on Climate Change (2010-2020)
• How the information on the needs of developing countries is informing the policies and portfolios of countries, the operating entities of the Financial Mechanism of the Convention and other climate finance providers?

Presentations

Country Case Study: Jordan’s experience in translating needs into action (Presentation)

Ms. Sara Al-Haleeq, Head of Adaptation to Climate Change, Ministry of Environment, Jordan

Key findings of the RICCAR Arab Climate Change Assessment Report (Presentation)

Ms. Carol Chouchani Cherfane, Chief, Water Resources Section, Sustainable Development Policies Division, ESCWA

Review of Arab strategies related to climate change (Presentation)

Mr. Hammou Laamrani, Department of Housing, Environment and Water Resources, LAS

Open discussions

Moderator: Mr. Muhammad Taimur, Programme Officer, Sustainable Development Mechanism, UNFCCC

Session 8: Development of the Arab Climate Finance Mobilization and Access Analytical Framework and Strategy

This session will focus on the possible content and processes in developing the Arab Climate Finance Mobilization and Access Strategy. This will be pursued in two parts: First, by framing the scope and framework for the assessment; and second, by developing a preliminary structure for the content of the strategy.

This will include framing the scope for quantifying and qualifying climate finance needs, including geographic coverage, time span, sector coverage and consensus on socio-economic and climate change scenarios to use as the basis for framing current and future needs.

The experts will agree on the outline of the finance strategy and identify data requirements, including availability and gaps.

Presentation of the possible outline of the regional strategy

Elements of the Arab Climate Finance Mobilization and Access Strategy (Presentation)

Ms. Shahrazad Far, NBF consultant

Moderated discussion on the possible outline of regional strategy and on   the scope the technical assessment

Co-Moderators: 

Ms. Carol Chouchani Cherfane, ESCWA

Mr. Hammou Laamrani, Department of Housing, Environment and Water Resources, LAS

Session 8 Breakout Group

Each breakout group will focus on developing a thematic or sector-specific framework for measuring and assessing the climate finance needs and informing the regional strategy. This will identify data gaps and will include the following breakout groups:

• Water and agriculture
• Energy and transportation
• Needs Determination and Costing

Breakout group Moderators:

Breakout Group 1:  LAS

Breakout Group 2:  UNFCCC

Co-Moderators: 

Ms. Carol Chouchani Cherfane, ESCWA

Session 9: Planning for project Implementation

This session is aimed at developing a work plan for project implementation and for possible outreach activities, including at COP 25 in Santiago, Chile.

Workplan, activities and indicative timelines (Presentation)

Mr. Yolando (Lando) Velasco, Manager, Climate Finance Sub-Programme, Finance, Technology and Capacity Building Programme, UNFCCC

Open discussions

Co-Moderators:

Mr. Tarek Sadek, Climate Change Officer, Water Resources Section, Sustainable Development Policies Division, ESCWA

Mr. Yolando (Lando) Velasco, Manager, Climate Finance Sub-Programme, Finance, Technology and Capacity Building Programme, UNFCCC

Summary of next steps and closing remarks

Closing remarks

Mr. Ayman Shasly, Chair, Arab Group of Climate Negotiators, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Mr. Djamel Djaballah, Director, Housing, Environment and Water Resources Department, League of Arab States

Ms. Roula Majdalani, Director, Sustainable Development Policies Division, ESCWA

Mr. Yolando (Lando) Velasco, Manager, Climate Finance Sub-Programme, Finance, Technology and Capacity Building Programme, UNFCCC