This event took place on July 13th in Nouakchott during a workshop held under the theme "Information sharing and exchange on The GEF Small Grant Program and the Community Management of Protected Areas for Conservation-COMPACT" and the slogan "local action for global impact."

Fifty six (56) participants attended this workshop, representing the key various ministries that has on share the global environment protection, the civil society and the representatives of the Mauritania's TFP Environment Group.

The workshop objectives were: (i) to present SGP illustrated results and approach, (ii) to display the SGP achievements as established by the stakeholders; and (iii) to explore current opportunities of COMPACT and those in perspective of GEF 5, UNDP, Transboundary Biosphere Reserve (TBR), and of the Diawling National Park. The workshop, in addition to the successful completion of this initial agenda, highlighted the capacity of civil society to raise funds and to implement small sized but high impact projects on global environment protection, poverty reduction and capacity building of NGOs / CBOs.

To date the GEF SGP in Mauritania, implemented by UNDP, has granted US$ 26,662 and supported 154 community based projects. Some of these project have also received the support of the Spanish MDG Fund and the Community Water and Sanitation Initiative, ICEA. This amount does not include opportunities from the new COMPACT that targets local stakeholders of the Senegal River delta TBR, erected in 2005 by both countries.

The participants welcomed the positive results achieved and recommend the establishment of an appropriate framework for dialogue and a capitalization system.

This workshop opening ceremony was chaired by the General Secretary of the Delegated Ministry to the Prime Minister in charge of Environment and Sustainable Development with the presence of the Deputy Representative of UNDP, the UNDP / SGP / GEF Coordinator, the chairperson of Naforé, the NGO-workshop organizer.