41st meeting of the Standing Committee

DOC. SC41-12

Agenda item 8

Report on the Ramsar Small Grants Fund

Action requested: The Standing Committee is invited to note this report on the present status of the Small Grants Fund 2009.

1.      For the 2009 cycle of the Ramsar Small Grants Fund (SGF), the Standing Committee approved the 29 projects proposed for funding in October 2009.

2.      The Secretariat has written to all Ramsar Contracting Parties soliciting their voluntary financial support to the general fund. No contributions were received or pledged. The funds available – CHF 24,749 as of 09 February 2010 –  result from the surplus from previous years, the balance from closed projects, and a small carbon offsetting contribution re Secretariat core travel in 2009. These funds are insufficient to fund any project.

3.      In an effort to raise additional funds, the Secretariat also compiled a portfolio with the 29 approved projects. This portfolio was posted on the Ramsar website and disseminated to Ramsar Contracting Parties and to possible donors.

4.      The portfolio was successful in prompting interest in funding from Sweden, Japan and Danone, with receipts and pledges totaling CHF 158,103. Four projects proposals have been selected by the donors and contracts are in progress.

5.      Overall this was not a very successful year for the SGF. We are lacking funds for a significant number of good project proposals. The Ramsar Secretariat will soon start to review new project proposals for 2010 and hopes to be able to financially support more projects in 2010 than we did in 2009.

Annex 1

Small Grants Fund – funds available

SGF funds available for allocation for the 2009 cycle
(in Swiss francs CHF, as at 15 March 2010)