The Global South-South Development Expo (GSSD Expo), a UN system-wide global event, took place in Nairobi, Kenya, from October 28-November 01. The overarching theme of the Expo was on ‘Building inclusive green economies–South-South Cooperation for sustainable development and poverty eradication’. The Expo, attended by more than 1,200 delegates and featuring over 5 million virtual participants through online and social media, facilitated an exchange of country experiences on green economy and poverty-environment mainstreaming among Southern countries that have contributed to economic development, decent job creation, and poverty eradication at the global, regional, national and local levels.

At the Expo, the annual South-South Cooperation Awards were conferred to individuals and organizations that have been prominent role models of South-South cooperation throughout the world. The GSSD Expo 2013 Annual Leadership Award for South-South Cooperation was awarded to the Government of Nepal’s National Planning Commission (NPC) and Ministry of Local Development, for its exemplary and innovative work on the Climate Public Expenditure and Institutional Review (CPEIR) supported by PEI. 

The award is in recognition of the strong southern leadership from the Government Ministries and the positive impact of its solution in Nepal as well as in other countries. During the Expo, Mr. Gopi Nath Mainali from the NPC emphasized how Nepal has introduced a climate budget code to allow tracking of climate expenditure, following the completion of the CPEIR. The code allows for the analysis of climate programmes in relation to other priority indicators related to poverty reduction and gender equality. These efforts have led to an allocation of 10.34% of Nepal’s 2013-2014 budget for climate funding. Mr. Manali also highlighted the capacities available and needed in terms of knowledge and expertise for poverty-environment mainstreaming, and the support that is required to improve South-South cooperation. 

Mr. Manali received the award from H.E. Mr. John W. Ashe, President, sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly, Mr. Achim Steiner, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and Mr. Yiping Zhou, Director, United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC). 

High-level government representatives from Burkina Faso and Rwanda also shared their experiences on mainstreaming poverty-environment issues into national planning and budgeting frameworks at the UNDP-led Solutions Forum that focused on Environment and Poverty Eradication. 

Mr. Rasmane Ouedragogo from the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development in Burkina Faso highlighted how they have worked together with the Ministry of Economic and Finance to create a budget line to support better environmental management, and to use the national investment plan to analyze financing for and determine budgets for environmental projects. Activities to that end include the use of economic assessments on environment and natural resources, P-E mainstreaming handbooks and the appointment of high profile PEI champions to promote tackling the issue throughout government and through civil society.  

Ms. Marie-Laetitia Buskoye from Rwanda’s Environment Management Authority noted that the public environmental expenditure review (PEER) supported by PEI proved to be a very successful P-E mainstreaming tool in Rwanda. The PEER illustrated poverty-environment spending and financial gaps per sector. The results helped the government to better plan and budget for sustainability and led to the establishment of the Fund for Environment (FONERWA).

PEI also featured through a presentation to a special session on Mainstreaming and Multilateral Environment Agreements (MEAs) by Isabell Kempf, PEI co-Director, and throughout the week in the Exhibition Hall and through various media, including in a new UNEP publication on green economy and south-south cooperation which highlighted case studies from PEI in Latin America, Africa, and Asia-Pacific.

Press Release: 

PEI supported program in Nepal wins GSSD Expo Leadership Award

Related Articles:

Nepal allocates 10.24% if its 2013-2014 budget for climate funding

Local planning process in Burkina Faso integrates Poverty-Environment linkages, and the government reviews the cost of unsustainable chemical management

Posters: 

PEI in Burkina Faso 

PEI in Rwanda

PEI in Nepal

Photo: KGG