The first meeting of the Advisory Board of the Santiago Network for Loss and Damage (SNLD) will be held from the 18-20th of March in Geneva, Switzerland. Here is a look at what to expect at this long-anticipated first meeting.
The consortium of United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) has promptly launched work under the Santiago Network. The first meeting of the Advisory Board of the Santiago Network will be held at the Warwick Hotel in central Geneva (see the logistics note here). Notifications to Parties and constituencies have already gone out to register attendees. For those unable to attend in person a view-only webcast will be made available and we believe this will be hosted here.
The provisional agenda suggests that the first Advisory Board meeting will start with the election of two co-chairs of the Board. One each from developing and developed countries, these two co-chairs will lead the board in its work to make the SNLD deliver in reality. At its first meeting, the Santiago Network Advisory Board will have an important discussion among its members to sensitise their vision and expectations on the work of the Board. This discussion can facilitate the consideration of substantive issues later.
Following the discussion on vision, the Advisory Board will turn to a discussion on the location of the head office of the Santiago Network secretariat hosted by the consortium of UNDRR and UNOPS with 5 options on the table: Nairobi, Kenya; Bonn, Germany; Geneva, Switzerland; Brussels, Belgium; or Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This has been a thorny issue that was about to disallow the operationalisation of the Santiago Network. Therefore it was deferred to the Advisory Board to resolve based on a report and recommendation by the host consortium. At COP 28, Parties requested that a Head Office Location Assessment be undertaken by the hosting consortium to help inform this decision. The report has now been completed and has identified Nairobi as the most suitable location for the head office of the Santiago Network. The assessment report and its ranking should help conclude on this matter unless some Advisory Board members continue to have residual concerns regarding ensuring access to technical assistance in all regions.
The Advisory Board will then consider guidelines on preventing potential and addressing actual and perceived conflicts of interest in the #Santiago Network for which a draft has been prepared by the UNFCCC for review and/or adoption. This is a crucial framework to govern an important aspect of the interactions with, among and within the Santiago Network. The purpose of the guidelines is to ensure that the Santiago Network performs its functions with impartiality, objectivity, equity and transparency, and to safeguard against any potential, actual and perceived conflicts of interest that may arise. These include any conflicts of interest that may arise when organizations, bodies, networks and experts (OBNEs) or the hosting organisations are engaged in providing technical support to the Santiago Network secretariat while responding to technical assistance requests. As well as those that could arise when the host of the Santiago Network secretariat (i.e. @UNDRR or UNOPS) is responding as an organization, body, network or expert to technical assistance requests.
The Advisory Board will then consider rules of procedure for the Advisory Board. At this point, all eyes will be on how the Board can ensure inclusive and meaningful participation of observers and non-party stakeholders. Something which is essential to honour the promise to integrate the voices of the affected local communities and ensure a consistent people-centred approach which is Human Rights based and gender-sensitive.
It is also important to note that as of the 14th of February, we are still waiting for the Eastern European and Western Europe and Others Group to make their nominations for four Advisory Board members. This is critically important, because it may not be possible for decisions to be made or co-chairs to be elected until all are nominated. The nomination process MUST therefore be finalised as a matter of urgent priority!
The Advisory Board’s 1st meeting will also consider modalities for the designation of OBNE’s as members of the Santiago Network. This is an important step on the road to build the Santiago Network and allow it to evolve in a transparent, inclusive and effective manner. According to the COP 27 decision, modalities and procedures should also include guidelines and procedures for responding to requests for technical assistance and guidelines for managing funding provided for technical assistance. This is an area where developing and developed countries often have divergent views and might continue to be a work in progress throughout 2024.
Before closing the meeting, the Advisory Board will consider the location of the next meeting. With only two meetings mandated this year, the Advisory Board must provide clear guidance to the Santiago Network’s secretariat on how to use the time between meetings to ensure that progress is being made.
Santiago Network Project The L&DC's Santiago Network Project is specifically focused on contributing to ambitious progress in the UNFCCC negotiations that results in a fit for purpose Santiago Network that delivers on the needs of developing countries.
