Governance

The SAN Coordinating Committee is intended to be made up of a balanced composition of individuals reflecting the following categories of representation:

CSOs from all participating climate funds (up to 6 with the recent inclusion of REDD+, alongside AF, GCF, GEF, FCPF and CIF)

Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities representatives (3)

Private Sector Representatives (2)

Equitable gender representation (no fixed seat or quota, but understood to be an equal number of males and females)

Equitable geographic representation (“North” vs. “South” and different world regions fairly
represented)

Observer “groups” can be understood to be the stakeholder groups (that is, CSO, IP and PS), and the specific fund “networks” (e.g. the GEF-CSO Network). The largest of the three stakeholder constituencies – the CSO group – is further subdivided within fund sub-groups. As specified by the strategy, each constituency is expected to nominate their representatives. While the Strategy does not specify an exact number of Coordinating Committee members, a minimum of eleven can be derived from the above. This number is not fixed, as the Strategy also states that “to ensure that there is equity in representation across funds, the number of members in the Coordinating Committee may be expanded with agreement of Members”.

SAN elections

The election is to be overseen by an Election Committee consisting of at least one representative of each constituency, with no climate fund group represented by a majority of members. This Committee will be responsible for outreach to each group, to seek nominations, to propose a slate with nominees for all seats, and to oversee their confirmation by consensus or by vote. Individual Committee members representing each constituency shall be responsible to reach out to their respective groups, to agree on any constituency-specific procedures. The process is further detailed below, for each stakeholder constituency. The Election Committee will be supported by a consultant and by pro bono online elections experts.

The current SAN Coordinating Committee was elected by registered SAN members in a process conducted between November 2020 and January 2021, reaching across constituencies and climate and environment funds. The committee will serve for the term 2021-2023.

The Coordinating Committee is the governing body of the SAN, elected by its membership, tasked with setting priorities and overseeing the work plan of the SAN’s executive team, among other leadership duties. While elected from different funds and constituencies, Committee members serve as individuals, rather than as representatives of their organizations, constituencies or networks.

SAN Coordinating Committee

2021 – present

The current SAN Coordinating Committee is comprised of observers of different funds representing civil society, indigenous peoples, and private sector. The elections for the SAN Coordinating Committee were held in December 2020 with the election of 13 people to the CC. The newly elected CC members are:

Civil Society Organizations

Ayouba Abdou Sani (CIF)

Ali Tauqeer Sheikh (CIF)

Augustine Njamnshi (FCPF)

Bhola Bhattarai (FCPF)

Maria Silvia Leichner (GEF)

Samuel Dotse (GEF)

Indigenous People

Grace Balawag (FCPF/CIF)

Dennis Mairena (CIF)

Juan Carlos Jintiach (CIF)

Legborsi Saro Pyagbara (GEF)

Private Sector

Margaret-Ann Splawn (GCF)

Gabriela Merla (CIF)

Augustine Idoot (CIF)

 

2018

Andrea Bacher, International Private Sector and Sustainability Consultant, former Policy Officer International Chamber of Commerce, Global Business and Industry Focal Point for UNFCCC and Green Climate Fund, France

Grace Balawag, Coordinator for Indigenous Peoples’ Partnership on Climate Change, Forests and Sustainable Development, Tebtebba Foundation, Philippines

Lawrence Connell, Environment Director, Bank Information Center, USA

Guy Patrice Dkamela, Natural Resource Management Consultant, former Forests and Climate Change Facilitator, Network for the Environment and Sustainable Development in Central Africa, Cameroon

Legborsi Saro Pyagbara, President, The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People(MOSOP), Nigeria

Maeve McLynn, Former Policy Coordinator, Climate Action Network Europe, Brussels

Claudia Zúñiga, Forestry Specialist, Derecho, Ambiente y Recursos Naturales, Perú

2016

Bessy Bendaña, President, Asociación para el Desarrollo del Emprendimiento Rural y Semi Urbano (ADEMI), former Executive Director Hondureña de Pequeños Productores de Energía Renovable, Honduras

Lisa Elges, Climate and Environmental Governance Policy Analyst and Prevention Lead at Green Climate Fund, former Senior Policy Officer, Transparency International, Germany

Dr. Archana Godbole, Director/Founder, Applied Environmental Research Foundation, India

Christiaan Poortman, Senior Advisor, Transparency International

Grace Balawag, Coordinator for Indigenous Peoples’ Partnership on Climate Change, Forests and Sustainable Development, Tebtebba Foundation, Philippines

Legborsi Saro Pyagbara, President, The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People(MOSOP), Nigeria