Brussels 12 November 2018/ACP/: The ACP Secretariat and the Intra-ACP GCCA+ Programme organised an Info-point Lunch time conference at the External Cooperation Info point of DG DEVCO on the 17th October 2018.

The event presented the Intra-ACP GCCA+ Programme and the Climate Support Facility (CSF) services set up to provide demand-driven, short-term technical assistance and training on climate change to ACP regional organisations and countries, as a complement to other components of the Programme.

The highlight of the event was a presentation of the work carried out by the Programme in Pemba Island, Tanzania. This was given by Mr Mbarouk Mussa Omar, Executive Director at Community Forests Pemba and Mr Zach Melanson, Communications Director at Community Forests International. Ms Salume Ali Khamis, a representative of the local community, who spoke about how the agricultural training and capacity building she had received through the Programme had helped her increase the production of food crops. This has in turn improved the livelihood and health of her family, and through her coaching of other women, the livelihoods of others in her community as well.

The event also showcased success stories of the technical assistance provided by the first phase of the Programme (Intra-ACP GCCA 2011-2016).

During the first phase of the Programme, the CSF supported the Pemba project in the development of a knowledge sharing platform, instructional videos and a 30-minute documentary (Kokota: The Islet of Hope) highlighting the project’s achievements. Currently, it is providing further support for: (i) the production of gender-responsive business development training materials aligned with CFP’s adaptive livelihoods programme, targeting community leaders and Pemban farmers; (ii) the development of a marketing strategy and plan for the promotion of climate-smart horticultural products produced on Pemba Island; (iii) the production of additional language versions and a shorter version of the documentary; and (iv) the development of a distribution and dissemination strategy and plan for the documentary, in order to share the experience of Pemba with other communities at large.

The event was a success, with over 45 participants from the EU Commission, International and civil society organizations. It led to five more enquiries for technical assistance by the Climate Support Facility and a proposal from the audience to share Pemba’s success story with other communities in ACP countries.

Joint Policy Dialogue (JPD)

The ACP Secretariat and the Intra-ACP GCCA+ Programme also hosted a Joint Policy Dialogue (JPD) at the ACP House on the 5th November 2018.

The JPD showcased the findings of a draft ACP report analysing the implementation status of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) of ACP countries, conducted in order to identify priority climate change actions and needs in ACP countries, so as to best optimise resource allocation to support the action.

The meeting saw the participation of ACP Regional partners, UNFCCC negotiators, representatives from the European Commission, United Nations organisations and civil society, among others. The report was welcomed and well received by the participants.

The findings of the report were consistent with the experience in the regions, as expressed by the ACP Regional partners, who presented their own findings and similar work.

The outcome of the meeting served as a basis for further discussions during the Special meeting of the Subcommittee on Sustainable Development in preparation for COP24.

Special meeting of the Subcommittee on Sustainable Development in preparation for COP24