Voluntary Contribution to the Santiago Network

Climate change causes diverse losses and damages (L&D) to societies and economies, both economic (income, physical assets) and non-economic (e.g. health problems, biodiversity loss). Estimations and projections of related costs in monetary terms incurred in developing countries vary, ranging from hundreds of billions CHF to multiple trillions per year. The poorest and marginalized people are most affected. They have least capacities to cope. Their livelihoods usually depend on locally available natural resources that are heavily affected by climate change. Often, climate change engages them in an existential struggle.

Developing countries get support to deal with L&D by institutions from diverse fields, particularly humanitarian aid, disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation. However, this support is far from sufficient. Also, the coordination of providers requires improvement and the limited resources tend not to consistently reach the most vulnerable people.

In this difficult context, the Conferences of the Parties to the Paris Agreement (PA) and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) decided to establish the Santiago Network (SN) to facilitate access of developing countries’ institutions and communities to technical assistance (TA) to cope with L&D, matchmaking them with TA providers such as UN organizations, NGOs or experts. Building on a strong multilateral consensus, it is a centerpiece of global efforts against L&D and contributes to the overall coherence of the related financing landscape.

Besides its substantive relevance for Switzerland, the SN is also important from a host state perspective. It is the first institution established by the Conferences of the Parties to the PA and UNFCCC that is headquartered in Switzerland.

• Developing countries have increased their access to knowledge and information, technology and finance to avert, minimize and address L&D.
• L&D TA providers are complementary and better coordinated with each other.

Switzerland additionally aims for the network to:

• include L&D TA providers of significance (incl. those Geneva-based and partners of Swiss cooperation).
• facilitate TA requests focusing on: countries/people most in need (incl. high priority of direct local/community requests); quality and relevance, including the linkage to concrete policy change or investments.
• develop robust results management with measurable effectiveness and efficiency indicators.
• be gender-responsive.
• be financed by a diverse donor base, public and private.
• stay in Geneva, with high stakeholder satisfaction.

Expected results:  

• Network with a diverse and high-quality membership of TA providers established.
• Demand-driven TA facilitated by connecting those seeking TA with the best suited providers.
• Knowledge and information on averting, minimizing and addressing losses and damages developed and disseminated.

Similarly to UNFCCC funds, as a demand-driven outfit the SN will only progressively establish targets.

Results from previous phases:   Baselines have not been established yet.