Statement by H.E. Dr. M. Javad Zarif
Deputy Foreign Minister for International and Legal
Affairs
of the Islamic Republic of Iran
before the First Assembly of the Global Environment
Facility
New Delhi, April 2, 1998
In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Mr. Chairman,
The emergence of a more
propitious international environment following the collapse of the bi-polar
world has provided the possibility for joint quest, on a global scale, for
solutions to common problems facing humanity. Efforts towards setting standards
of behavior in the post-Cold-War era -- based on the rule of law and common but
differentiated responsibility of global actors -- has gained momentum and
aroused unprecedented enthusiasm over the past several years. As the first in a
series of high-level world conferences held since 1990 to address a wide range
of pressing issues, the United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development was indeed a timely response to the formidable challenges involved
in this field.
The Rio Summit and its
outcomes, in particular Agenda 21, raised great hopes at all levels and created
a great momentum towards the realization of sustainable development. As clearly
underlined by the international community in the course of the UNGASS last
year, the state of the world environment continues to deteriorate. In the words of President Khatami, addressing
the recent Ministerial Meeting of the Regional Organization for the Protection
of Marine Environment in the Persian Gulf area, “today, the threats posed to
the human life by the polluted environment are greater than those of
destructive wars.” And yet, the global response seems to fall far short of the
mark. While elaboration of international legal instruments and agreements has
been pursued with unparalleled vigor, fulfillment of commitments undertaken in
Rio and within the framework of Agenda 21, including in the field of
environment protection, are yet to be realized and translated into practical
action. Effective and meaningful protection of the global environment does
indeed require provision of adequate financial resources and transfer of
environmentally sound technologies and corresponding know how, information and
data to the developing countries.
Within this general
framework, the establishment and restructuring of the Global Environment
Facility (GEF) can certainly be considered among the significant achievements
of the international community in the field of joint efforts geared to the
protection of environment. Although only 4 years old, it has a positive
performance to its credit; a record to be cherished and preserved and, most
certainly, to be further entrenched and strengthened.
Mr. Chairman,
The new GEF has been able to
provide funding for projects in a large number of developing countries.
Magnitude of the problem, however, calls for a more vigorous effort on a much
larger scale. This first GEF Assembly provides us with a unique opportunity to
discuss the policies and operations of GEF, its strengths and weaknesses, as
well as possible ways and means to increase the effectiveness, quality, and
efficiency of its activities. In this respect, I would like to bring the
following points to the attention of this august gathering. In our view, their
serious consideration by the Assembly is imperative for a stronger and more
effective GEF.
Solid and timely
replenishment of GEF, commensurate with
global environmental goals and based on national priorities must be
ensured. Replenishment should not be linked to any other issue which may act,
even inadvertently, as conditionality in
one form or another. In this respect, the major contributors must be urged to
pay their arrears.
A more focused policy and
program, together with an institutionalized scrutiny of the scope of the
activities of GEF-wide system, would render the Facility more practical and
manageable. The thrust of the system must be to meet the requirements of
operational activities of GEF -- as mandated
by the “GEF Instrument” -- rather than building a new “Center of
Excellence.”
In addition to the four
focal areas assigned to the Facility, there are other areas which enjoy
international dimension, and hence, fall within the purview of its activities.
Therefore, consistent with its mandate, GEF could and should
examine the need to increase the number of focal areas and operational
programs to include, inter alia, desertification and aforestation.
The incremental cost is a
key concept in GEF financing. Despite lengthy discussions on this subject in
the past and the approval of a decision by the GEF Council, it still continues
to be a complex and controversial issue. In our view, supporting
projects with both domestic and
global environmental benefits would make the Facility more responsive to its
mandate as well as to the real needs on the ground. Our collective efforts
towards harmonizing GEF projects with
national sustainable development needs and priorities would accelerate the
integration of environmental concerns into the national development policies
and programs. This would further
contribute to the post-project sustainability of GEF-supported projects.
Against this backdrop, a flexible approach to incremental costs that allows a
balance between GEF objectives and
national priorities is recommendable. In other words, without
prioritizing the concerns of one or the other, a balanced approach must
constitute the frontispiece of GEF policies and operations.
The lengthy and complicated
process of project cycle and approval continues to impede the access of
recipient countries to GEF funding. Facilitated and simplified procedures are
necessary to expedite this process. In this connection, any conditionality which further complicate this
process should be avoided.
The transfer of
environmentally-sound technologies should constitute one of the main areas of
focus and attention of the Facility.
However, a number of concerns have to be borne in mind. While
sustainability of innovative or risky projects involving high-tech or state-of
the-art technologies needs to be
carefully examined, it seems advisable for the Facility not to recommend or
encourage resort to un-experimented technologies or those which might have
adverse social and economic impact on the recipient countries. Technological
approaches should, in any eventuality, be consistent with country-driven
priorities. Moreover, recipient countries should be assisted, including through
expansion of national capacity, in developing, manufacturing and maintaining
technologies which would certainly help ensure long-term success of the efforts
undertaken. Put in a nutshell, limited GEF resources should be provided to
cost-effective programs and proved technologies with ensured effectiveness and
efficiency.
To sum up, let me just catalogue
the issues which we believe require our collective focused attention and
concerted efforts of the Facility. Though not comprehensive, the list of issues
includes: new and additional financial resources; transfer of
environmentally-sound technologies;
expansion of the areas of GEF support; balance between local and global
benefits of GEF-supported projects; mobilization of private funds as
supplementary to GEF resources; ensuring financial sustainability of GEF
projects; separation of GEF resources from allocations to development
cooperation; strengthening of the role of UNEP; simplifying and shortening the
procedures for GEF project cycle; adoption of a more flexible approach to the
concept of incremental costs; effective participation of recipient countries in
various stages of project development process as well as in the calculation of
incremental costs; increased transparency in all GEF activities; a higher
degree of consistency with the guidance of the COPs of Conventions; extension
of support to the improvement of the existing technologies, such as fossil
fuels technologies, as well as to the promotion of the use of cleaner sources
of energy, such as natural gas.
Mr. Chairman,
In conclusion, let me
express our most sincere gratitude and appreciation to the People and
Government of India for their warm hospitality and excellent arrangements for
this gathering and wish every success
for this Assembly in the pursuit of its noble objectives. I cannot close this
statement without a word of our appreciation for the devotion, perseverance and
valuable contribution of Dr. Mohammed El-Ashri, the distinguished Chief
Executive Officer and Chairman of the Global Environment Facility.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.