Promoting coherence in adaptation under the Convention and the Paris Agreement and synergies with organizations, centres and networks

1. Coherence in adaptation under the Convention and the Paris Agreement

The overarching objective of the Adaptation Committee (AC) is to promote the implementation of enhanced action on adaptation in a coherent manner under the Convention. As such, the AC, has sought to identify ways in which it can achieve that objective. It is an ongoing process that continues to progress as the AC evolves.

2. Coherence with organizations, centres and networks

By decision 2/CP.17, the COP requested the AC to engage with, and draw on the expertise of, relevant institutions, organizations, frameworks, networks and centres, including those at the intergovernmental, regional, national and, through them, subnational levels, where appropriate. The COP agreed that the Committee should seek input from intergovernmental, international, regional, national and subnational organizations, centres and networks, the private sector and civil society in undertaking its work and should invite advisers drawn from them to participate in its meetings as expert advisers on specific issues as they arise.

Activity 6 of the AC's 3-year workplan (2013-2015) requested the secretariat to compile a list of regional centres and networks working on adaptation. The AC made it available in 2014 as part of its work on ways to strengthen the roles of regional institutions and UN agencies in supporting enhanced adaptation action in developing countries. At its fifth meeting, the AC endorsed the initial list, which will be updated every six months.

In recognition of the need for women and men to be equally represented in all aspects of the Convention process and for climate action to respond to the differentiated needs, experiences, priorities and capacities of women and men, Parties have focused on two goals under the dedicated gender and climate change agenda item:

• Improving gender balance and increasing the participation of women in all UNFCCC processes, including in delegations and in bodies constituted under the Convention, the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement;

• Increasing awareness and support for the development and effective implementation of gender-responsive climate policy and action at the regional, national and local levels.

At its 14th meeting, AC members and observers were informed about gender-related activities under the UNFCCC. Subsequently, the AC agreed to incorporate gender as a cross-cutting consideration into all its activities.

A brief summary of gender disaggregated data of AC meetings and event participants is available here. 

Related documents

Provided in the two main areas of adaptation action and means of implementation, including finance, technology and capacity-building. The focus of this work is on NAPs as the main vehicle for planning and implementing pre-emptive adaptation at the national level, in close collaboration with the LEG and supported by the NAP task force.

1. Providing technical support and guidance to the Parties in adaptation action

Focusing on activities for enhancing adaptation, including the work of its NAP task force, and monitoring and evaluation systems at the national and subnational level. The list below shows the background documents on the above issues that the AC has considered during its meetings. These documents served as input to the discussion and show the evolution of the discussions to date.

National adaptation plans

Means of implementation

Providing guidance on enhancing support for adaptation, including finance, technology and capacity-building support, including for formulating and implementing NAPs. The list below shows the background documents on the above issues that the AC has considered during its meetings. These documents served as input to the discussion and show the evolution of the discussions to date.

Providing technical support and guidance to the Parties for adaptation planning and implementation

One of the agreed functions of the Adaptation Committee (AC) is to provide technical support and guidance to the Parties, respecting the country-driven approach, with a view to engaging in the each Party's adaptation planning processes and the implementation of actions, including the development or enhancement of relevant plans, policies and/or contributions listed in 1/CP.21, Article 7, paragraph 9.

In order to carry out this function the AC has included the following activities in its workplan.

• The organization of a workshop on the monitoring and evaluation of adaptation, building on and contributing to existing related processes. Further information on the workshop including the final report can be found here.
• The compilation and updating of a list of regional centres and networks working on adaptation with a view to strengthening their role in supporting country-driven adaptation actions (see under Regional centres and networks)
• The establishment of an ad hoc group, in collaboration with relevant organizations and experts, to propose modalities to facilitate technical backstopping for projects for Parties upon request. This group was established as an ad-hoc group on technical support and its pdf-icon terms of reference were agreed at AC 5.
• Consideration of the work resulting from the outcomes of the work programme on loss and damage.
• The organization of a workshop on best practices and needs of local and indigenous communities together with the Nairobi Work Programme. More information on the workshop including the final report can be found here.
• The organization of an expert meeting on promoting livelihoods and economic diversification to build resilience in the context of planning, prioritizing and implementing adaptation actions. This meeting was held from 7 to 8 September 2015.

The list below shows the background documents on the above issues that the AC has considered during its meetings. These documents served as input to the discussion and show the evolution of the discussions to-date.

Background documents

National adaptation plans

Monitoring and evaluation of adaptation

Ad-hoc group on technical support

Consideration of the work resulting from the outcomes of the work programme on loss and damage

Best practices and needs of local and indigenous communities

Promoting livelihoods and economic diversification

Providing information and recommendations for guidance on means to incentivize the implementation of adaptation actions, including finance, technology and capacity-building

One of the agreed functions of the Adaptation Committee (AC) through which it shall promote the implementation of enhanced action on adaptation is the provision of information and recommendations, drawing on adaptation good practices, for consideration by the COP when providing guidance on means to incentivize the implementation of adaptation actions. In its initial three-year workplan the AC elaborated the activities it would undertake regarding technical support and guidance to Parties on means of implementation.

In 2013 the AC has invited regional institutions and United Nations agencies supporting work on adaptation to communicate their current support for adaptation in developing countries and summarized the inputs received into an information paper .

In 2014 the AC has started preparatory work for a workshop on the means of implementation for enhanced adaptation action which took place from 2 to 4 March 2015. The workshop brought together relevant bilateral, regional and multilateral institutions facilitating the means of implementation, as well as development agencies at the country level, to discuss how to further promote the implementation of enhanced action in a coherent manner under the Convention. Representatives of the TEC, the SCF, the GCF Board, the Adaptation Fund Board and the Global Environment Facility were also invited. The AC will use the outcomes of the workshop as well as other relevant information, including the outcomes of the workshop on monitoring and evaluation of adaptation, to provide guidance on means of implementation of adaptation actions and recommendations for consideration by the COP.

The list below shows the background documents on the above issues that the AC has considered during its meetings. These documents served as input to the discussion and show evolution of the discussions to-date.

Background documents
 

The main communication objectives of the AC remain to promote the implementation of adaptation by increasing the visibility of the work of the AC; increasing the reach and impact of its events and publications; and strengthening existing and building new partnerships with other UNFCCC bodies and external organizations working on adaptatione.

All relevant documents providing input to and considered at AC meetings are provided below. The documents show the evolution of discussions to date.

Relevant documents

AC's communication plan and strategy

Meetings with relevant organizations

Development of thematic and overview reports

Adaptation Fora

Annual reports

Collaboration on NAP Central