Final Report on the Framework Agreement for 2008–2009

Geographically, activities under the Framework Agreement have assisted or been implemented in 21 ODA countries in Africa, Eastern Europe, Central Asia. Through the UNEP Shelf Programme, activities have also taken place in Latin America and the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Ocean Island States (48 countries). In addition GA continued to serve UNEP as its Key Polar Centre with focus on the Arctic, the Arctic Council and indigenous people through funds raised outside of the context of the Framework Agreement. The efficiency of the work carried out during the reporting period, in relation to the work programme, was measured based on the set of performance indicators. The Marine Programme demonstrated excellent efficiency especially in the continental shelf related activities of the UNEP Shelf Programme and has by far exceeded the planned figures mostly due to the high demand for information from, and assistance to coastal and small island developing states. The Regional Field Programme has delivered all outputs as planned. The Polar and Cryosphere Programme implemented 4 out of 5 quantifiable outputs and all qualitative outputs. The Framework Agreement had a major effect on strengthening GA’s abilities to support UNEP in its environmental work to the benefit of developing countries. It enabled GA to build upon its competences and to focus on fields of communication, the marine environment and the cryosphere. GA’s new strategy for year 2009-2013 was finalised in alignment with and complimentary to UNEP’s Medium Term Strategy and the evolution of UNEP’s six thematic areas (sub-programmes). UNEP has developed a comprehensive strategy for marine ecosystem management with GA playing an integral role. This will in the future provide a good base for GA’s transition from an organisation, which predominantly runs the UNEP Shelf Programme supporting ODA countries with their submissions relating to the extension of their continental shelf, to an organisation with major competence and capacity to provide support for marine ecosystem management. Effectiveness regarding capacity building assistance has increased in work related to Africa. For example the Norwegian support through GA to produce the UNEP environmental atlas for Uganda has been acknowledged as having successfully built capacity in the country to produce the atlas itself. Uganda now has the potential to assist neighbouring countries or function as mentor for similar work. The UNEP Shelf Programme had the largest impact first of all in terms of numbers of developing countries benefiting from GA’s assistance. Providing data and technical assistance to those States preparing their proposals to delineate the outer limits of the continental shelf had, in the least, an important initial impact: all 57 countries GA supported with such capacity building services have met the deadline of May 13, 2009, to deliver their submissions or preliminary information to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS ). This first important achievement and the further services to countries with extended deadlines has ensured and will continue to ensure the relevancy and importance of the Programme’s contribution and of GA’s role as a recognized provider of expertise and support. The newly defined outer limits of the continental shelf will radically transform the world map. The funds provided by the Framework Agreement enabled GA to raise significant matching funds, both from UNEP and from external contributors. The total sum secured by GA in 2008 and 2009 amounts to MNOK 111,2. The NOK 42,2 million (incl. MNOK 2,2 for the Shelf programme in December, 2007) funding under this Framework Agreement constitutes 40%, funding from UNEP accounting for 19%, core funding from the Ministry of Environment 8% and funds raised from external partners 33%.

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