Session organized by the LEG and IIEDNAP Expo

11 – 15 July 2016, Bonn, Germany

Summery of the discussion on the mandate for the process to formulate and implement National Adaptation

Plans

General UnderstandingsA mandate is crucial for the following reasons:

• To sustain the adaptation processes beyond the preparation of plans/documents and project-ised thinking, linking to sustainable development

• To provide certainty, stability and direction of travel

• Individual agencies may not be able to do adaptation planning on their own anymore - there is need to engage everyone from government to private sector, etc.

• Such engagement requires a higher level political decision (i.e. a mandate) to enable all stakeholders to feel part of adaptation action

• Adaptation is now a universal concept happening everywhere, not only for the LDCs but throughout the whole world including in developed countries, and we need to systematize how we do it

General Understandings

However

• A NAP mandate should not be a prerequisite for countries to get funding

• The NAP process is a nationally determined process, the nature and the content of a mandate depends on country circumstances (some countries may require adequate regulatory frameworks in place, whereas others may need to create such arrangements)

• A mandate can take a long time to put in place. Work on the NAP process should therefore not wait for a mandate to be put in place

Key features of a possible mandate (breakout group session outputs)

• High level mandate- such as a national legislation that is implemented through different instruments at sectoral level for implementation.

• Should provide guidance for the overall NAP process

• Key responsibilities and the coordination mandate should be given to a high-level authority related to climate change

• Clear objectives should be defined in the mandate

Elements to be included in the mandate (breakout group session outputs)

• Clear roles and responsibilities

• Institutional arrangements for implementation

• Coordination framework

• Means of implementation (finance, technology and capacity building)

• M & E framework

• Knowledge management framework (information, public awareness and advocacy)

• Scientific and research framework for constant information resources

• Provisions for periodical review based on latest scientific knowledge

• Provisions mainstreaming climate change adaptation into sectoral plans and policies

• The Paris Agreement national ratification process could be an opportunity for adopting a mandate for NAP process as well.