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In November 2001, the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), at its seventh session decided that the least developed countries (LDCs) should be assisted in preparing national adaptation programmes of action (NAPAs) to address urgent and immediate needs and concerns related to adaptation to the adverse effects of climate change. It also requested the Global Environment Facility to provide funding for preparing NAPAs, as the first activity under the LDC fund. The Global Environment Facility (GEF) helps developing countries fund projects and programs that protect the global environment. Established in 1991, GEF forges international cooperation and finances actions to address six critical threats to the global environment: biodiversity loss, climate change, and degradation of international waters, ozone depletion, land degradation, and persistent organic pollutants (POPs).
The Least Developed Countries Fund for Climate Change (LDCF) and the Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF) were established in 2001 by the GEF in accordance with the decisions of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The LDCF is designed to support projects addressing the urgent and immediate adaptation needs of the least developed countries (LDCs) as identified by their National Adaptation Plans of Action (NAPAs). The SCCF is designed to finance activities in four areas. For both these funds, adaptation to climate change is a top priority and the largest majority of the funds' resources are allocated to concrete adaptation projects. In establishing the funds, the Council agreed that the operations and administrative costs incurred in connection with managing both the LDCF and the SCCF are kept separate from the GEF Trust Fund.
The Conference of Parties (COP 7) has established an LDC Expert Group (LEG) with the objective of advising on the preparation and implementation strategy for NAPAs. The mandate of the expert group includes advice and technical guidance to individual countries, upon request, for the preparation and the implementation strategy of NAPAs. If a country requests specific assistance from the LEG which is in accordance with LEG rules, expenditure to obtain such assistance (such as travel by a member or members of the LEG, or a workshop) may be met from the technical assistance budget, if necessary through reallocation of project funds in consultation with the IA concerned.
The GEF has allocated $4 billion in grants and leveraged an additional $12 billion in co-financing from other sources to support more than 1,000 projects in over 140 developing countries and countries with economies in transition.
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