The Secretariat of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) is pleased to draw the attention of Parties to the process for participating in the 11 Integrated Programs of the eighth replenishment of the Global Environment Facility Trust Fund (GEF-8, July 2022 to June 2026) with a view to implementing CMS priorities.

As noted in CMS Notification 2022/005, GEF8 programming includes many areas of relevance for Parties to achieve their commitments under CMS.

CMS National Focal Points are encouraged to liaise with their GEF counterparts to ensure that their STAR allocations support projects and initiatives that conserve and sustainably use migratory wildlife and their habitats. 

Following the endorsement of the agencies selected to lead the Integrated Programs (Ips) of GEF-8 by the 63rd GEF Council Meeting (November 28 – December 02, 2022) through Decision 33/2022, the GEF Secretariat issued a Call for Expression of Interest (EOIs) to all countries through the GEF Operational Focal Points.

The Call was accompanied by a template with detailed instructions for completion, including requirements for eligibility, details for demonstrating commitment toward the program-level objectives, and potential for multiple global environmental benefits.

The deadline for submitting EOIs to the GEF Secretariat is 17 February 2023.

The Wildlife Conservation for Development (WCD) IP is of particular relevance for CMS, addressing illegal and unsustainable exploitation and trade of wildlife both for domestic purposes as well as for international trade, as well as ecological connectivity and wildlife health. The WCD IP is led by the World Bank which invited CMS to be a member of the WCD IP Steering Committee to support the coordination of the IP.

The CMS Secretariat would like to draw your attention to the Guidance sessions for the EOIs Process to participate in the WCD IP that the World Bank is holding on 26 and 31 January 2023. Details about the sessions and how to register can be found at the following link: https://www.worldbank.org/en/events/2023/01/26/guidance-session-on-the-expression-of-interest-process. Additional information on the WCD IP can be found in the flyer in the Annex of this notification.

GEF-8 Integrated Programs (IPs), as well as Focal Areas, provide multiple entry points for the implementation of numerous CMS mandates. 

Of note, the following IPs objectives and key Interventions are in line with CMS priorities:

Wildlife Conservation for Development IP:

• Curbing poaching, disrupting trafficking, and reducing demand for illegal, unsustainable and high zoonotic-risk wildlife within and between countries.
• Maintaining and restoring connectivity of wildlife populations and landscapes through generating value from wildlife and its habitats will reduce biodiversity loss and enhance human wellbeing.

Greening Transportations Infrastructure Development IP:

• Halting and mitigating increasing habitat fragmentation and loss of connectivity due to infrastructure development, by avoiding placing infrastructure in critical ecosystems; maintaining flows / connectivity for fluvial transport; and maintaining or enhancing wildlife crossings or other natural infrastructure to increase connectivity and facilitate the movement of animals.

Amazon, Congo, and Critical Forest Biomes IP:

• Improving connectivity of forest, freshwater and aquatic resources in each biome at national, sub-national, transboundary levels which also help resident and migratory species.

Ecosystem Restoration IP:

• Approaches for restoration of degraded ecosystems, with a focus on ecosystem types which are selected on the basis of various criteria including habitat and species connectivity.

Sustainable Cities IP:

• Integrating nature in urban development and regional planning aiming at bringing nature into cities.

Blue and Green Islands IP:

• Developing land use/coastal zone planning to support conservation and sustainable use of critical ecosystems, sustainable management of marine and coastal ecosystems, and sustainable fisheries management.

Food systems IP:

• Reducing livestock’s impact on the environment and contribution to zoonotic spillover and supporting production of alternative protein sources.
• Building upon practices of sustainable farming and reducing the use of chemicals, particularly in agriculture in the form of pesticides, which have severe impacts on biodiversity leading to significant species decline.

Circular Solutions to Plastic Pollution IP:

• Reducing plastic waste from entering the environment to help maintain the health of ecosystems and the species affected by entanglement and ingestion.

Net-Zero Nature-Positive Accelerator IP:

• Supporting an effective decarbonization of the energy system through, among other interventions, an expansion of sustainable renewable energy.
• Preserving and enhancing carbon sinks in natural ecosystems, including forests and agroforestry systems with large carbon stocks such as peatlands that are crucial for many migratory species including dugongs and many species of birds.

The CMS Secretariat stands ready to advise and support CMS Parties as appropriate in the process of participating in these IPs. The Secretariat is also reaching out to the GEF agencies to establish collaborations in the implementation of the GEF-8 programming directions.

For any further information, please contact Laura Cerasi, Fundraising and Partnerships Officer, CMS Secretariat, E-mail: [email protected].