"...Integration of environment and development concerns and greater attention to them will lead to the fulfillment of basic needs, improved living standards for all, better protected and managed ecosystems and a safer more prosperous future... no nation can achieve this on its own; but together we can - in a global partnership for sustainable development."
The Earth Summit Vision: Agenda 21, Rio, 1992
Agenda 21 emphasizes that a country's ability for sustainable development is largely determined by the capacity of its people and institutions. It explicitly states that support is needed for endogenous capacity-building so developing countries "can assess, adopt, manage and apply environmentally sound technologies," partly through human resource development and program implementation. Moreover, it is preferable to "shift time horizons" in program planning if it helps countries respond to longer-term challenges rather than concentrate only on immediate problems.
In accordance with these provisions and its own vision, the World Bank has continually stressed national execution in its projects. Emphasis on capacity building in relation to World Bank ozone depleting substances (ODS) project implementation in the Philippines has resulted in the evolution of other environmental activities, which demonstrates the pivotal role institutional strengthening can have for sustained global environmental protection.
As a signatory to the Montreal Protocol and an Article 5 country, the Philippines is eligible to receive funds under the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol (MLF). Assistance is geared towards meeting Article 5 countries' obligations to phase out the consumption of Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) according to the Protocol's timeline. Institutional strengthening funds, a component of MLF assistance, have proven to be crucial in the success of ODS projects as well as in overall capacity building for environmental protection.
In 1993, the Philippines and the World Bank agreed to work together on ODS projects. One of the first tasks undertaken to ensure smooth project execution was to set up the infrastructure needed to implement projects and disburse funds within the country. The World Bank worked with the Philippines' government to find a local institution which would be suitable for overseeing projects and disbursing allocated grants. The LandBank of the Philippines, a partly government-owned development and investment bank with over 330 branches throughout the country, agreed to serve as a financial agent (FA) to fulfill these objectives.
Building Environmental Management Capacity in the Philippines' Financial Sector, November 1999
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