Ministry of Health hosts GEF Start up Mission for SVG

From Tuesday, April 17, to yesterday, Thursday, April 19, 2012, the Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment hosted representatives from the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme Central Programme Management Team (CPMT){{more}} who conducted a Startup Mission for the Country Programme in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

The GEF Small Grants Programme (SGP) was launched in 1992 as a unique programme designed to contribute to solving some of the world’s most pressing environmental problems through local action and sustainable livelihoods in a country-driven, grassroots approach. SGP allocates grants of up to $50,000 to local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and community-based organizations (CBOs) to implement community-based projects in the GEF focal areas of biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation, protection of international waters, prevention of land degradation, sustainable forest management, and elimination of persistent organic pollutants. Several organizations throughout SVG have been recipients of these grants over the years.

Nevertheless, in order to increase the effectiveness of the Programme, there has been a shift from a sub-regional programme modality of operations of the SGP to that of a country programme modality.

During the Startup Mission, the team will consult with government and non-government stakeholders, as well as other potential partners (including the private sector) to: Discuss the existing capacity of civil society organizations in SVG to develop and implement projects in the new country programme framework. (CPF); To discuss opportunities and challenges for transition to SGP country programme implementation, and risk factors that may hinder successful transition to the CPF; To ascertain levels and kinds of support for civil society participation in project implementation and in policy development and planning; To meet with institutions active in local sustainable development projects in SVG among others,

Yasa Belmar, Environmental Resource Analyst at Environmental Management Department within the Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment, is the GEF Focal point and is responsible for the mission.