Comments of Japanese Government to "The framework for capacity-building in NON-ANNEX I parties"

Comments of Japanese Government to "The framework for capacity-building
in NON-ANNEX I parties"

JAPAN
July 5, 2000

General Comments
1.	Japan recognizes capacity-building as an essential component of steady implementation of the Convention and the Kyoto Protocol. Therefore we should thoroughly discuss this issue among the parties in a cooperative manner in order to make progress toward COP6.
2.	Environment-related capacity-building including that for climate change, has been one of the priority areas in Japan's development assistance. Japan has already enhanced its support for capacity-building in developing countries in many areas related to climate change including energy, industry, transport, forest, natural resource management, monitoring of emissions and sequestrations, etc, and will continue such efforts steadily. Actually, Japan stated in its Kyoto Initiative that capacity-building is one of the three pillars of the Initiative.
3.	As many developed countries stated, huge efforts and assistance toward capacity-building in developing countries and EITs have been undertaken since the entry into force of the Convention. Japan believes that such current efforts and experiences should be properly recognized and should be treated as a basis on which to make further improvement. In this sense, Japan would like to stress that coordination among the existing resources, such as bilateral ODA and those from multilateral organizations, e.g. GEF, should be enhanced in order for the available resources of donors to meet capacity-building needs in developing countries and avoid duplication.
4.	The question of a framework for capacity-building has been discussed since COP 5, but principles, which constitute the basis for the framework, have not been consolidated yet. Principles of the framework for capacity building should be consolidated first, and under such principles, effective and practical detail of the framework, which might include items of scope and implementation, should be discussed. In this regard, ideas on technology-transfer, including needs assessment and information, produced in the consultative process for technology transfer might be useful for considering the framework for capacity-building. In particular, taking into account the very small number of submissions from developing countries, needs assessment should be prioritized for further improvement.
5.	The framework for capacity-building will be complex as it will involve a wide range of stakeholders and has broad linkage to several items of development agenda. Therefore it is advisable to carefully analyze what should be capacity-building without making haste.
6.	Japan would like to express its position on principles again in the following on the assumption a new text will be prepared by the chairman and secretariat based on Parties' comments.
Japan's position on Principles
7.	Recall decision 10/CP.5 - Capacity-building is very important for the effective participation of developing countries in the Convention and Kyoto Protocol processes and must be comprehensively addressed.
8.	Capacity-building should be clearly designed to contribute to and result in the further implementation of the Convention and Kyoto Protocol. Scope of capacity-building should be carefully considered in order that capacity building should function effectively.
9.	Linkage to sustainable development
	(a)	Activities related to climate change is one aspect of broad sustainable development efforts, so that capacity-building for climate change should be incorporated into national sustainable development strategies and programs, and involve a broad range of stakeholders in a manner appropriate to the circumstances of each country;
	(b)	Comprehensive approach should be taken in developing countries for introducing and sustaining capacity-building, e.g. coherence among the policy, administration and implementation stages, and between national and local levels.
10.	Country-drivenness
	(a)	Ownership 　Capacity-building should be driven by developing countries themselves with their ownership. It is primarily to be undertaken by developing countries in partnership with developed countries;
	(b)	Needs assessment 　Capacity-building needs should be primarily assessed and determined by developing countries themselves; Developed countries or multilateral institutions may assist developing countries to assess needs where necessary and appropriate.
	(c)	Diversity 　Capacity-building needs are different from Party to Party. There is no "one size fits all" formula. Particularly, special circumstances of the countries, such as small islands and least developed countries, should be taken into consideration;
	(d)	Large efforts of developing countries 　It should be stressed that capacity-building requires large efforts from developing countries themselves. In other words, developing countries must have a sense of ownership, although developed countries will provide support for such efforts in the spirit of partnership.
11.	Partnership between developing countries and donor countries/organizations Needs assessment should clearly identify both activities to be undertaken by recipient country itself and activities to be assisted by donor countries and organizations, taking into account close and cooperative partnership between two sides.
12.	Long-term process with flexibility
	(a)	Capacity-building cannot be achieved overnight. Rather, planning for capacity-building requires a long-term perspective, which also includes the post-assistance program period;
	(b)	Capacity-building needs could not be identified fully at the initial period. It should be designed and implemented in a flexible manner to take into account emerging needs and circumstances of each developing country;
	(c)	Capacity-building should be result-based and designed so as to produce clearly identified results.
13.	Coordination - Capacity-building will be more effectively implemented;
	(a)	if it is coordinated at the country, regional and subregional levels;
	(b)	if it is effectively coordinated with other sustainable development agenda;
	(c)	if it is built on past and existing efforts.
14.	Capacity-building is achieved through "learning by doing"; it should not wait until needs assessment by developing countries is completed.

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