5th GEF International Waters Conference, Cairns Convention Centre, Cairns, Queensland Australia, October 26-29, 2009

Professor G. Robin South (IMR) was among some 300 invited delegates who attended the GEF IW5 meeting in Cairns, comprising GEF Project Managers, Members of the GEF Secretariat, Government Representatives, GEF Technical Advisors, and Donor organisations (World Bank, United Nations Environment Programme, Asian Development Bank, and the United Nations Development Programme). The meetings proved to be a unique opportunity for experience sharing among government representatives, project leaders and managers, the GEF Secretariat and donors.

The themes of the conference were: Ridges to Reefs, Mainstreaming Climate Change and Variability, and Striving for Results-based Management, designed to assist the GEF Secretariat in preparations for the 5th tranche of GEF funding. The meetings comprised three working days of plenaries, panel discussions and participant working groups, and one day set aside to visit “best practice” activities within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and its catchment area.

 Important workshops included:
 
• Scaling-up in GEF5: Improving Results Based Management and Learning. This was a policy panel discussion on the new International Waters focal area strategy: identification of systems at risk, and what should be scaled-up in GEF5;

• GEF Experience Sharing and Learning Portfolio. The first part highlighted the expanded portfolio of GEF IW learning projects, the products they will develop for the portfolio, and the information needs they have. The second interactive part featured a facilitated discussion with the plenary on gaps in learning for GEF5.

The Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) will be integrated as far as possible in the work of GEF5, and two important CTI side meetings were held during the conference. Discussions also included relations with other GEF-funded projects in the region, and their potential interactions with CTI.  Many speakers emphasised the need for dialogue between scientists knowledgeable about climate change, and country government leaders, in order to assist them in the development of appropriate policies for the sustainable management of their marine ecosystems.

Many GEF Projects were show-cased, either during plenary sessions, in workshops, or at the innovation marketplace. The outcomes from the meeting will be posted on www.iwlearn.org