Through "scope | acp", a South-South cooperation project, developing countries in Africa, the Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) regions receive and, in turn, provide support in increasing investments in sustainable land management (SLM). The initiative fosters the mobilization of Southern resources to the benefit of the South, supporting the 78 ACP countries to build capacities, share knowledge and learn from their experiences and develop partnerships.
Financed by the European Union (EU) and implemented by the Global Mechanism (GM) together with other partners, scope|acp strives to enhance the human, financial and technical resources of ACP countries to honour multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs), in particular with regard to desertification and land degradation issues. The project is part of the EU’s ACP MEAs programme, coordinated by UN Environment Programme. scope|acp operates on the national, (sub)regional and international levels in partnership with existing regional hubs: the African Union Commission (AUC), the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the Caribbean Network for Integrated Rural Development (CNIRD) as the Secretariat of the Partnership Initiative for Sustainable Land Management (PISLM), the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC), among others.
Why South-South cooperation?
South-South cooperation changes the way development aid is perceived and can lead to more inclusive and effective partnerships. Emerging economies have been propelling global economic growth and have also improved economic development of poorer countries. On the rise, trade and investment among the countries of the South are helping countries to overcome many obstacles to development. The advantages to it include: convenience of geographical proximity within the same region; working in concert with traditional forms of development aid and the promotion of interregional funding arrangements.
To address the challenges related to SLM in ACP countries, scope|acp has focussed on promoting a common and shared vision on resource mobilization for UNCCD implementation. The project supports countries from the three regions in the elaboration of national integrated financing strategies, enhances the regional hubs’ roles of coordination and technical support to countries and establishes regional and interregional South-South partnership platforms to support resource mobilization efforts.
By disseminating knowledge and success stories on innovative ways to mobilize resources, scope|acp fosters collaboration and builds capacities. It connects people, ideas and resources virtually as well as in person.
SLM-Finance, the scope | acp website
To facilitate the exchange of information among ACP countries, scope|acp manages a website called “SLM-Finance”, which hosts a wealth of information on funding and finance for SLM. Used primarily by government representatives, civil society organizations (CSOs) and development professionals, SLM-Finance is accessible to everyone.
The platform facilitates access to information, knowledge and the experiences of other developing countries interested in strengthening their efforts to implement the UNCCD. A vehicle for the South-South cooperation project, the site allows for dynamic interaction: it is possible, for example, to form a private or public work space, take e-learning courses - including one on designing SLM integrated financing strategies (IFSs) - and request GM advice to find resources for project development.
Content of specific interest to Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific, as well as the Great Green Wall for the Sahara and the Sahel Initiative can be accessed on the portal. SLM-Finance enables the user to learn, create projects, communicate, share opinions, knowledge and experience, interact with colleagues and counterparts, find funding opportunities and much more. News, articles, documents, projects, and other information can be uploaded, shared and discussed. A marketplace-type forum where organizations can promote their activities, find services and join forces with others is anticipated.
