1. About GEF-SGP
   The Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small Grants Programme (SGP) provides to civil society organizations (including national NGOs, community-based organizations, and indigenous peoples organizations) in 125 countries. Grants are provided in the following GEF focal areas: mitigation of climate change (CC), conservation of biodiversity (BD), protection of international waters (IW), reduced impact of chemicals and Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), prevention of land degradation (LD), and promotion sustainable forest management (SFM). SGP also seeks to generate sustainable livelihoods, reduce poverty, and create community empowerment.
    
2. CBD COP14 definition and operational guidance on “other effective area-based conservation measures” (OECMs)
   Following the adoption of the CBD 2020 Aichi targets in Nagoya, Japan, in 2010, attention has been increasingly focused on recognizing and supporting the vital role of indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs) in conserving biodiversity outside of the framework of formally-gazetted and managed government protected areas (PAs).
   
   In 2014, the Global Support Initiative for Indigenous Peoples and Community Conserved Territories and Areas (GSI) was formed to broaden the diversity and quality of governance types of protected and conserved areas (CAs) which contribute to the achievement of the CBD Aichi targets. The GSI is a multi-partnership initiative that is delivered by the UNDP-implemented Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme (GEF SGP), with $16.3m in funding provided by the Government of Germany, through its Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety (BMU) International Climate Initiative (IKI).
   
   At the 10th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP10), Parties approved the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity (2011–2020) with twenty Aichi Biodiversity Targets. Among these, Aichi Target 11 states that:

   By 2020, at least 17 per cent of terrestrial and inland water, and 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas, especially areas of particular importance for biodiversity and ecosystem services, are conserved through effectively and equitably managed, ecologically representative and well-connected systems of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures, and integrated into the wider landscapes and seascapes. (CBD, 2010. Bold emphasis added).

   The language adopted by Aichi Target 11 marks the first appearance of the term ‘other effective area-based conservation measures’ (OECMs) in international law. Over the following four years, discussions began within CBD fora and across other networks on how best to apply this term in practice. Following a call to use the opportunity to innovate on existing conservation models (Jonas et al. 2014), the IUCN’s World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) established a Task Force in 2015 to develop guidance for IUCN members and CBD Parties on the definition and application of the concept of OECMs.
   
   The definition for “other effective area-based conservation measure” adopted by COP 14/CBD Decision 14/8 reads as follows:

   “a geographically defined area other than a Protected Area, which is governed and managed in ways that achieve positive and sustained long-term outcomes for the in situ conservation of biodiversity, with associated ecosystem functions and services and where applicable, cultural, spiritual, socio–economic, and other locally relevant values”

   It is expected that appropriate mapping and recognition of OECMs will help deliver greater representativeness and connectivity in protected and conserved area systems, and provide an exciting opportunity to recognize and engage a broader range of stakeholders in conservation. IUCN and the WCPA Task Force are committed to further developing and testing the OECM guidance in pilot countries to assist nations in meeting Aichi targets and further promoting OECMs beyond 2020. 
   
   In alignment with the SGP Country Programme Strategy (CPS) developed in Malaysia for the SGP 6th Operational Phase (OP6) running from 2015-2019, applications from qualified organisations are invited to carry out a strategic project designed to spearhead recognising and reporting OECMs work in the country. Competent organisations are encouraged to submit an application on the basis of the Call for Proposals below.
   
   The proposals will be reviewed and approved by the SGP National Steering Committee (NSC) in consultation with a national level Technical Advisory Group (TAG).
    
3. Objectives:
   Organizations wishing to apply for the implementation of the ‘Recognising and Reporting of OECMs in Malaysia’ will be expected to review the following responsibilities in view of the socio-cultural and political reality of the country.
    
   1. Socializing OECMs
      Run a series of consultations to introduce the international-level work on OECMs to key governmental and non-governmental agencies, private sector actors and indigenous peoples and local community groups in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak.
        
   2. Broad scale assessment of ‘potential OECMs’ 
      Identify and assess ‘potential OECMs’ (areas that prima facie meets the definition of an OECM but have not been assessed at the site level) within a defined jurisdiction either at the national or sub-national level, as appropriate.
       
   3. Local level assessment and reporting OECMs at the local level
      Working within a defined landscape, engage relevant governance authorities (across the governance types, as appropriate) of potential OECMs to:
      • Socialize them to the OECMs concept; 
      • Engage in a consent process to work with them towards recognizing and reporting their OECMs (‘FPIC’ in the context of indigenous peoples and local communities, with the understanding that some may not grant FPIC);  
      • With interested parties, use the IUCN Guidelines for Recognizing and Reporting OECMs to assess the areas at the local level (IUCN is expected to release the detailed Guidance volume in the first half of 2019);  
      • Where areas meet the definition, work with the governance authority and UNEP-World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC) to report them to the World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA);  
      • Investigate the gaps and needs for recognizing and supporting OECMs at the national or sub-national level(s) as appropriate; and    
      • Publish and communicate a report on the experiences of the local level and reporting process with recommendations.  
         
   4. Recognizing 
      Develop a legal and capacity needs review that assesses the ways in which OECMs can be recognized at the state or national levels, including setting out gaps and recommendations for legal, policy and institutional reforms. 
       
   5. International level engagement
      Feed the (interim) results back to the international levels, including at the IUCN World Conservation Congress (WCC) and CBD COP 15 in 2020. 
    
4. RESOURCES
   • IUCN-WCPA Task Force on OECMs 
   • CBD SBSTTA Documents, in English and in other UN languages (document #2) 
   • Special Issue of PARKS on OECMs 
   • PARKS paper on OECMs and ICCAs 
   
    
5. Outputs:
   The expected outputs of the Recognizing and Reporting OECMs Project may be developed following the attached format for SGP Malaysia.in consultation with the SGP National Coordinator (NC) [shin.shin.lee@undp.org] and other relevant partners.
    
6. Timing:
   The project on Recognizing and Reporting OECMs in Malaysia is expected to last for 24 months.  
    
7. Budget:
   Funding may be provided from the GEF not to exceed US$80,000. A detailed budget breakdown should be provided by the proponent including all estimated costs, according to the attached proposal format for SGP Malaysia. Budget Template
     
8. Deadline: 25 April 2019 (Friday).
     
9. Proposal Template and the Guidance Notes can be downloaded here.
    
10. ONLY qualified applicants will be notified.  

To obtain more details on SGP and guidelines for application please contact:

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