http://www.fao.org/globalsoilpartnership This presentation was made during the third GSP Planery Assembly that took place in Rome; FAO HQ from 22-24 June 2015. The presentation was made by Moujahed Achouri and Alexander Jones and it presents a Report on the Financial Status of the GSP, including the Healthy Soils Facility. ©FAO: http://www.fao.org

1. Report on the Financial Status of
the GSP, including the Healthy
Soils Facility
Moujahed Achouri, Director, NRL
Alexander Jones, Deputy Director, TCS
23 June 2015

2. Commitment of FAO to the GSP
 FAO is fully committed to the implementation of the GSP, in particular by
hosting and funding the Secretariat on its premises.
 The GSP has cross-cutting activities and is being promoted through the
Corporate Area for Resource Mobilisation (CARM) “Ecosystem Services and
Biodiversity for Food and Agriculture”;
In support of the GSP Resource Mobilization and as per the request of the
First GSP Plenary Assembly which took place in July 2013, the “Healthy Soils
Facility - HSF” has been established in 2014.
The Facility is part of the FAO’s Strategic Framework Objective aiming at
increasing and improving provision of goods and services for agriculture,
forestry and fisheries in sustainable manner.

3. The GSP Financial Support
The GSP is supported by two sources of funds, as follows:
The Healthy Soils Facility (HSF) is a priority
for FAO Resource Mobilization!
FAO Assessed
Contributions
(Regular
Programme)
Voluntary
Contributions
by Resource
Partners (HSF)

4. FAO Assessed Contributions
The GSP Secretariat
Under the overall guidance and leadership by FAO Deputy Director
General – Natural Resources and the Director of Land and Water
Division (NRL):
o As per the terms of reference of the GSP Secretariat, FAO is
committed to dedicate one Professional Technical Officer and one
General Service Staff (biennium 2014-2015/USD 630 000).
o On a part time basis, technical officers also from other divisions and
decentralized offices with competence on soil issues.
o Short-term assistance via Consultants, Internships, Volunteers, and
Secondments;

5. The FAO assessed contributions have limitations as the GSP ToRs are very clear
regarding the financial implications for FAO. Considering this, there is a need to
consider the following proposed actions:
 review the use of languages in the Plenary Assembly, depending on
resources availability;
 review the periodicity of the Plenary Assembly; example can be taken from
COAG which meets every two years and as GSP has to report to COAG, we
suggest to follow the same periodicity for the following reasons:
o to match the reporting time of the GSP parental body (COAG);
o to allow more time for implementation of activities and thus more
substantive preparation of a PA;
o to allow a more efficient resource management
FAO Assessed Contributions

6. Period 2014-2015
Contributions Managed through Land and Water Division, NRL
o Organization of two Plenary Assemblies (one in 2014 and one in 2015); Total
estimated cost ~ USD180 000; It is important to point out the cost of the PA language:
Out of that amount, the cost for the translation of documents in six languages
was ~USD57 000 and Interpretation was ~USD46 000 three days (five sessions
of three hours each) in six languages;
o Implementation of the Regional Soil Partnerships: Asian and the NENA Soil Partnership
were covered thanks to the FAO assessed contribution with a total cost of USD150 000.
o Consultants in the decentralized offices for an total cost of USD60 000.
Total Budget for various activities covered by the FAO Assessed Contributions in 2014-
2015: USD503 000;
Total Budget for staff covered by the FAO Assessed Contributions in 2014-2015:
USD630 000;
Overall Total in two years 2014-2015: USD 1 133 000;
FAO Assessed Contributions

7. Technical Cooperation Projects
Mainstreaming soil related activities to the GSP when prioritized at national level:
ONGOING TCP PROJECTS:
 TCP/MCD/3402 “Capacity development on digital soil mapping and development of the Macedonian
Soil Information System (MASIS)” USD340 000.
PROJECTS BEING DEVELOPED (PROJECT PIPELINES):
 TCP/MON/XXXX “Capacity development on sustainable soil management for enhancing soil
productivity in Mongolia” USD258 624.
 TCP/CMB/XXX “Development of the National Soil Information System of Cambodia” USD300 000.
 TCP/AFG/XXX “Development of the National Soil Information System of Afghanistan” USD250 000.
 TCP/RNE/XXX - Regional TCP “Developing capacities on digital soil mapping in Algeria, Sudan and
Lebanon” USD500 000.
FAO Assessed Contributions

8. A key priority for FAO resource mobilization !!!
Based on the request of the GSP First Plenary Assembly the GSP Secretariat
established the Healthy Soils Facility in March 2014;
The Facility is built upon the Five Pillars of Action of the GSP;
The Facility is flexible and can receive earmarked as well as less earmarked
voluntary contributions through different modalities, such as bilateral,
multilateral projects, joint programmes, etc.
Establishment of the Healthy Soils Facility for
Voluntary Contributions

9. GOVERNANCE OF THE GSP AND THE FACILITY
GSP GOVERNANCE
Healthy Soils Facility
Resources to support GSP
implementation
Steering Committee of the
Facility
Oversight by

10. A key priority for FAO resource mobilization !!!
WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT!!!
The Facility encourages partnership with any governmental entity and non-
governmental institution that shares the same vision and goal of sustainable
soil management;
Interested resource partners/donors can contribute to the components
which match their values under the orientations given by the GSP assembly.
A programmatic budget has been estimated of USD64 million over 10 years;
This estimated budget embraces also the contributions from the national
counterparts at their own national level to GSP activities.
The budget that FAO is implementing is within a range of USD2-5 million
per year.
The GSP is urgently seeking additional funds to support current activities.
A gap in the funding pipeline would have a substantial negative impact on
ongoing activities!
Establishment of the Healthy Soils Facility for
Voluntary Contributions

11. SUPPORT PROVIDED DIRECTLY BY PARTNERS
Special recognition is also due to all those partners and other institutions
who have contributed to GSP implementation in different ways:
- Secondment of an expert to the GSP Secretariat by the Federal Institute
for Geosciences and Natural Resources, Germany (June 2015-July 2016).
- Support for organizing Regional Soil Partnership workshops (Ministry of
Food and Agriculture, Turkey; Ministry of Agriculture, Chile; Instituto de
Suelos, Cuba, Land development department, etc).
- Third ITPS working session was hosted by the Institute of Advanced
Sustainability Studies, Germany.
- Support for organizing the Pacific Soil Partnership launch, CSIRO,
Australia.
- ITPS members; participation on working groups of experts from various
countries, etc.
Who has supported so far the Healthy Soils
Facility?

12. Who has supported so far the Healthy Soils Facility?
List of Trust Fund Projects
Ongoing projects
GCP /GLO/499/EC (EUROPEAN UNION) $1,350,000
GCP /GLO/585/THA (THAILAND) $100,000
GCP /GLO/592/MUL (MULTIDONOR) $158,000
→ SWITZERLAND $100,000
→ INTERNATIONAL FERTILIZER ASSOCIATION $58,000
EP/GLO/619/UEP (UNEP) $93,000
UTF/TUR/057/TUR (TURKEY) $200,000
TOTAL $1,901,000
Funds pledged and project pipelines
GCP /GLO/650/RUS (RUSSIAN FEDERATION) $1,000,000
GCP /GLO/XXX/EC (EUROPEAN UNION) $1,696,753
GCP /GLO/592/MUL (MULTIDONOR) $24,000
→ INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF
AGRICULTURE PRODUCTION INSURERS $12,000
→ AUSTRIAN HAIL INSURANCE COMPANY $12,000
TOTAL $2,720,753
OVERALL AMOUNT $4,621,753

13. THE FACILITY WORKS AT ALL LEVELS, MAINLY AT FIELD LEVEL
The gap in funding is still large if we consider the aspiration estimated budget.
Though, that includes potential investments that countries will also do. We are very
optimistic that resource partners will contribute to the HSF.
Soil
Conservation
and Soil
Restoration
Soil Research,
extension and
capacity
development
Awareness
raising,
education and
policy dialogue
Strengthening national
soil institutions
Global Soil information
System and SoilSTAT

14. The GSP has evolved by building its
institutional setting. Now, it is time to move
into full execution of the Plans of Action and
Regional Implementation Plans.
The Healthy Soils Facility is available to mobilize
resources for achieving “healthy soils for a
healthy life”!

15. THANK YOU!