STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN BENIN, BHUTAN AND COSTA RICA FOR COOPERATION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
OUTLINE OF PRESENTATION The 3 Partners Background Objectives Programs Financial Resources Implementation Progress Lessons learned and Challenges
THE 3 PARTNERS Bénin Bhutan Costa Rica
Bénin
Bénin Area: 110 620 km2 Population: 7,9 million Density: 55,1 inhabitants / km2 Lyfe expectancy: 54 years Urban population: 44,6 % Language: French Adult literacy rate: 33,6 % Child mortality: 154 / 1000 GDP per capita: US$ 562 HDI rank: 162
Bénin Ministry of Planning Centre Béninois pour le Développement Durable (CBDD) in transition to Centre de Parténariat et d Expertise pour le Développement Durable (CPEDD)
Bhutan
Bhutan Area: 38,384 km2 Population: 0.674 million Density: 16.1 inhabitants / km2 Lyfe expectancy: 66 years Urban population: 8,5 % Language: English / Bhutanese Adult literacy rate: 59% Child mortality: 85 / 1000 GDP per capita: US$ 797 HDI rank: 134
Bhutan Sustainable Development Secretariat (SDS) Ministry of Finance
Costa Rica
Costa Rica Area: 51 100 km2 Population: 4,2 million Density: 82,2 inhabitants / km2 Lyfe expectancy: 78 years Urban population: 60,6 % Language: Spanish Adult literacy rate: 95,8 % Child mortality: 10 / 1000 GDP per capita: US$ 4 352 HDI rank: 47
Costa Rica Fundación Fundecooperación para el Desarrollo Sostenible (Fundecooperación) PSC Secretariat Ministerio del Ambiente y Energía (MINAE)
BACKGROUND Building from a decade of experience
As a concrete follow up to the Rio Earth summit, the Netherlands signed bilateral sustainable development agreements (SDA) with Benin, Bhutan and Costa Rica in 1994. SDA
Principles of the SDA Equality: between a donor and recipient Participation: Broad based Reciprocity: two way
Innovative approach National Mechanisms (NMs) instituted Programs and funds managed by NMs Country ownership, flexibility and swift decision making process.
Solid foundation for partnership Regular meeting and exchanges among the partner countries that deepened the people to people contact
Implemented projects Concrete results in biodiversity conservation, energy, capacity development and culture. 119 national projects 185 reciprocal projects
Solid foundation for partnership Strategic Partnership for sustainable development signed in 2002 at the WSSD
OBJECTIVES
Objectives 1-To promote Sustainable Development on a south-south basis in line with outcomes of the JPoI through: policy dialogues, seeding initiatives, supporting projects of mutual interest, replicating success stories and deepening the people to people contact.
2-To serve as a pilot and a model for pursuing the goals of sustainable development Objectives
PROGRAMS
Programs Program for South- South Cooperation (PSC) formalized to translate the vision and goals of the partnership into concrete programs and projects May 2005
Biodiversity Conservation Sustainable Tourism Sustainable Chains of Production and Consumption Sustainable Energy Gender as a cross cutting theme Priority Areas
Other areas of interest Support national and local initiatives for sustainable development - National Sustainable Development Strategy - Follow-up on implementation of the JPoI
Types of Project Reciprocal Projects - between two or more partner countries Pilot Projects -Single country, spin off effect, result into a reciprocal project in Phase II.
National initiatives for sustainable development Policy formulation Consultation Awareness Capacity building Other activities
Platforms Ministerial Joint Committee meeting at the political level Management Board meeting at the operational level
Platforms Policy dialogue among the key stakeholders of the partner countries. PSC Secretariat
FINANCIAL RESOURCES Program for South South Cooperation (PSC)
Financial Resources The Government of the Netherlands generously committed Euro 11 Million for a period of three years (2006-2008)
Financial Resources The respective partner Governments provides political support, office space and staff time as own contribution.
Financial Resources Opportunities to diversify funding sources based on the success of the projects.
IMPLEMENTATION PROGRESS
Implementation Progress Multi year Plan for 2006-2008 developed - Outline of the thematic areas Annual Plan for 2006 formulated Elaborating the potential project ideas & activities South-South policy consultation, Nov 2005
South-South Policy Consultation Exchanging information Sharing experiences Discussing emerging challenges Identifying policy priorities and projects of common interest Deepening the people to people contact
Projects of Common Interest Themes Reciprocal Pilot Total Biodiversity 6 12 18 Tourism 6 2 8 Energy 3 7 10 Production & Consumption 10 6 16 Total 25 27 52
Other activities Handbook of procedures Promotion of the South-South Partnership as a framework, model
LESSONS LEARNED AND CHALLENGES
Lessons Learned What 3 countries in 3 continents would have in common? Commitment to sustainable development Environmentally sound policies Biological importance Broad based participation in the decision making process Willingness to forge a global partnership
Lessons Learned Global partnership is possible Sharing of experiences is enhanced through policy dialogue and consultation Learning from each other is continuous Replication and adaptation are possible Deepening the people to people contact must be permanent Pre-consultation and joint positions can be elaborated
Challenges Distance and communication, 3 different languages and cultural diversity Sustainable development is a long term commitment whereas financial commitment from developed partners is mostly short or medium term Innovation requires vision and flexibility, not always fitting to conventional approaches
Our way forward Opportunity to promote a model for sustainable development on a South South basis Priorities are assessed on a broad participation basis: country ownership Visible results and impacts Replicating and up-scaling with more partners
THANK YOU TASHI DELEK MERCI BEAUCOUP MUCHAS GRACIAS