Capacity building is a long-term, continuing process encompassing a country’s human, scientific, technological, organisational and institutional capabilities. It has been clear for many years that inadequate capacity in developing countries and countries with economies in transition puts them at a continued disadvantage and prevents them from reaping the environmental, social and economic benefits offered by full compliance with MEAs.
AEWA has a strong framework for sustainable capacity building based on the AEWA Strategic Plan 2019-2027. With respect to its implementation, it promotes a bottom-up approach in identifying specific objectives, strategies and activities that will be used to reflect the needs of countries and regions.
This bottom-up approach not only considers the views and priorities expressed by governments, but also those of relevant organizations and stakeholders. The approach also takes into account the importance of national ownership of capacity building and technology support initiatives, whilst building on the existing capacities.
Online Course
In this video interview, Evelyn Moloko, Coordinator for the AEWA African Initiative, discusses various topics related to the implementation of AEWA with the Center for Governance and Sustainability at UMass Boston. We cover such topics as the role of AEWA in the protection and management of species, some of its successes, the challenges of COVID, among others.
This video is part of the Introductory Course on the Implementation of Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) hosted by the Center for Governance and Sustainability at the University of Massachusetts Boston and the UN Environment Programme.
Tools
CMS Family Manual
The Manual was developed in response to paragraph four of the CMS COP Resolution 10.6 2012-2014 Capacity Building Activities. It requests the Secretariat to work with the Standing Committee, the Scientific Council and Secretariats of the daughter Agreements and their scientific advisory bodies in developing tools that would strengthen the capacity of CMS Parties. The Manual will invigorate the active participation of NFPs in decision-making, sharing knowledge and wisely managing and executing their numerous tasks related to the Convention and its Instruments.
The Manual is available in all three languages of the Convention and the online version is fitted with hyperlinks that cross-reference relevant passages on a topic, practical examples and useful tips and has checklists at the end of every chapter, making it a very user-friendly online tool. Please find all three versions below.
E-community
The main objective of the CMS Family NFP e-community is to support NFPs in fulfilling the different aspects of their roles, especially in implementing CMS and its instruments. Therefore, the platform will provide factual background knowledge about CMS, its bodies, instruments, procedures etc. and explain the roles of the NFPs. Practice Examples will illustrate different aspects. Additionally, the platform aims to offer hands-on support tools to facilitate the work of NFPs, such as checklists, information on funding programmes or training events. The platform concept follows a “knowledge-on-demand” approach and responds to different levels of prior knowledge and user needs by segmenting the information into modules and by providing different access paths to the information.
Communication functionalities provided on the platform foster discussion and the exchange of experience among the NFPs. Additionally, knowledge transfer via the platform should be complemented by training events (online and face-to-face). Offering a sound mix of information, knowledge management, communication and networking, the aim is to create a community-of-practice where NFPs mutually support each other by collaboratively learning on the job. The platform aims to encourage participation, to invite an open informal debate and to create a trusting atmosphere where it is no problem to admit lack of knowledge, declare problems, ask questions and voice doubts or concerns. It is not intended to use the e-community platform for formal communication (e.g. invitation to COP, submission of official statements).
Both tools were brought to fruition thanks to the generous financial support from the ENRTP Strategic Cooperation Agreement between the European Commission and UNEP. Its objective is to contribute to activities under the project "Effective Implementation of CMS, AEWA and other CMS Family instruments across various regions and languages through capacity building", over the period 2012-2014.
Other relevant information:
- Manual for the National Focal Points for CMS and its Instruments [EN] [FR] [SP]
- Link to the E-Community
- Capacity Building under the African Initative