Ms. Cihan Sultanoglu, the UN's Assistant Secretary-General and Director of the UNDP Regional Bureau for Europe and the CIS;
Mr. Neal Walker, UN Resident Coordinator/ UNDP Resident Representative
in Ukraine; Mr. Janthomas Hiemstra, UNDP Country Director
and other UNDP representatives visited the Knowledge Fair.
Moreover, a number of SGP partners such as GEF NGO Network in Ukraine, GEF full-size Projects, CSOs network “Zelena Zhytomyrshchyna”, All-Ukrainian Environmental League, Partner Network “Education for Sustainable Development in Ukraine”, College for talented rural youth, local CSOs, SGP grantee-partners ensured the high efficiency and professional competence of this fair. This event involved more than 150 participants.
The Knowledge Fair specified the work of GEF Small Grants Programme in Ukraine and achieved its four articulated objectives:
1) GEF SGPexchanged its experiences among NGO’s/CBO’s and other stakeholders who work to address global environment issues and facilitate the exchange of knowledge and best practices;
2) Awareness and understanding have been increased on the GEF SGP country programmes mission, strategies, results, and community-based perspectives on environmental protection;
3) Knowledge sharing was promoted and its value was transferred within the context of knowledge management among all GEF SGP projects and partnerships were encouraged among all concerned stakeholders, such as local communities; NGO’s/CBO’s, international funding agencies, government and local authorities, business community etc;
4) A public policy agenda was created to support GEF SGP environmental programming and identify community-based responses.
The Knowledge Fair covered the GEF Focal Areas and SGP main approaches, namely: Climate Change; Biodiversity;Land Degradation; Chemicals; Capasity Development; youth and Women Empowerment;Upscaling and Policy Impact – EU/NGOs Project.
The Knowledge Fair agenda included an exposition of more than 50 SGP projects, where participants had an opportunity to learn best practices and see resultson-site. The exposition was supplemented by documentary videos, slide shows that included SGP project photos, CSOs banners and stands, display materials.
More than 50 participants were involved into practical workshops and master-classes. Grantees displayed local products, conducted workshops on ecological souvenirs and amulets from dried flowers, offered some locally produced honey, herbal tea, etc. NGO For clean environment welcomed participants with folk song performance.