I.    Background

1.    The Green Climate Fund (“the Fund”) is a new multilateral fund created to make a significant and ambitious contribution to the global efforts towards attaining the goals set by the international community to combat climate change.
2.    The Fund will contribute to the achievement of the ultimate objective of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). In the context of sustainable development, the Fund will promote the paradigm shift towards low-emission and climate-resilient development pathways by providing support to developing countries to limit or reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and to adapt to the impacts of climate change, taking into account the needs of those developing countries particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. 
3.     The Fund is governed by a Board, composed of an equal number of members from developed and developing countries. The Fund is operated by an independent Secretariat headed by an Executive Director. The Fund will pursue a country-driven approach in its operations.
4.    The Governing Instrument of GCF provides for direct access and international access modalities, including public and private entities. In order to access resources from GCF under the direct access modalities, recipient countries will nominate competent subnational, national and regional implementing entities or intermediaries for accreditation to receive funding and channel such funding to projects and programmes in developing countries. 
5.    Recipient countries will also be able to access GCF’s resources through accredited international entities, including United Nations agencies, multilateral development banks, international financial institutions and regional institutions.
6.    The Governing Instrument also mandates the Board to develop, manage and oversee an accreditation process for all implementing entities based on specific accreditation criteria that reflect, among others, GCF’s fiduciary principles and standards and environmental and social safeguards and gender policy. 
7.    In 2014, the Board adopted the initial guiding framework for GCF’s accreditation process 1.  The Board also established the Accreditation Committee (the Committee) comprised of six Board members or alternates.2  The Accreditation Committee is accountable to the Board and provides guidance on the development of policies and procedures for GCF’s guiding framework for the accreditation process and facilitating the Board’s interaction with recipient countries and providing policy guidance to the Accreditation Panel.
8.    The Board established the Accreditation Panel to be composed of six international experts in relevant areas relating to the fiduciary standards, environmental and social safeguards standards and gender policy of GCF. The Accreditation Panel will operate as a senior and independent technical advisory body of the GCF, and will report and be accountable to the Board.
9.    Based on the initial guiding framework on accreditation to GCF and the fit-for-purpose approach,  the Accreditation Panel assesses whether applicants have the systems, policies, procedures and capacities to be an Accredited Entity to GCF and meet GCF requirements for accreditation. The GCF standards for accreditation include: 

  The GCF fiduciary principles and standards to be applied in accreditation include:4

• Initial fiduciary principles and standards (decision B.07/02);
• Policy on the Protection of Whistleblowers and Witnesses (decision B.BM-2018/21);
• Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Policy (decision B.18/10); 5
• Standards for the Implementation of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Policy (decision B.23/15); 
• Policy on Prohibited Practices (decision B.22/19);6 and
• Policy on the Prevention and Protection from Sexual Exploitation, Sexual Abuse, and Sexual Harassment (decision B.23/16).7 

 The GCF environmental and social policies and standards include:

•  Environmental and Social Policy; 8
•  Environmental and Social Safeguards (ESS) standards (including regarding indigenous peoples); 9 
•  Information Disclosure Policy10  regarding requirements to disclose environmental and social (E&S) information for category A/intermediation 1 and category B/intermediation 2 projects/programmes; and
•  Policy on the Prevention and Protection from Sexual Exploitation, Sexual Abuse, and Sexual Harassment;11  and

 Updated Gender Policy.12

II.    Minimum required qualifications and key fields of competencies.

14.    Individuals interested to serve as senior international expert will have to demonstrate recognized capacity and expertise in the following fields of key competency, supported by a successful career track at senior and executive level in an international environment with at least 15 years of professional experience in at least one of the categories below:
(a)    Financial standards and criteria:
         (i)      Governance systems, financial management, procurement, internal and external audit and control frameworks;
         (ii)     Project management cycle, including origination and implementation, and activity oversight;
         (iii)    Transparency, investigations and anti-fraud provisions; and
         (iv)    Financial intermediation and/or financial sector supervision and oversight (including for grants, loans, equity and guarantees);
(b)    Environmental and social safeguards:
        (i)    Environmental and social management systems (ESMS);
        (ii)    Identification, management, monitoring and review of environmental and social risks and impacts;
        (iii)    Organizational capacities and competencies to implement the ESMS;
        (iv)    Public disclosure of environmental and social information; and
        (v)    Redress mechanism at the institutional and project levels; and/or
(c)    Gender:
        (i)    Gender policy or statement reflecting the key principles in the GCF updated gender policy; and
        (ii)    Organizational capacities and competencies to implement the gender policy.
15.    In particular related to fiduciary standards and criteria, specific expertise in institutional-level assessment of policies, procedures and evidence of their implementation against a set of standards, in the following areas is sought:
(a)    Key administrative and financial capacities including financial management, accounting, internal and external audit, control frameworks and procurement;
(b)    Transparency and accountability including ethics, disclosure of conflicts of interest, fraud, investigations and anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing; 
(c)    Project management cycle, including origination and implementation, and activity oversight;
(d)    Grant award and/or funding allocation mechanisms; 
(e)    On-lending and/or blending of financial resources (specifically financial instruments loans, equity and guarantees); and 
(f)    Public and private sector entities.
16.    Hands-on experience will be preferred in assessing performance and operational track record of implementing entities, funding entities and intermediaries in consistently delivering quality results, projects and programmes, or effective financial solutions to overcome structural barriers and support development policies, as appropriate.
17.    Experience in elaboration, definition and implementation of criteria and procedures, particularly in an international context and referred to fiduciary standards.
18.    Experience in working in/with developing countries in the following regions should be highlighted:
(a)    Africa;
(b)    Asia and the Pacific;
(c)    Eastern Europe; and 
(d)    Latin America and the Caribbean.
19.    In addition to this, interested individuals have to demonstrate unquestionable personal reputation, integrity and ethical behaviour throughout his or her professional trajectory.
20.    The working language will be English. Knowledge of other official United Nations (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, and Spanish) languages would be an advantage.
 

III.    Application and selection procedure

21.    Interested individuals should submit their expression of interest by providing a full documented CV and a cover letter specifying the fields of key competencies that match their skills.
22.    The file containing the curriculum vitae should be named “CV [LAST NAME]” (e.g. CV SMITH), and similarly, the file containing the cover letter should be named “Cover letter [LAST NAME]”.
23.    Shortlisting will start on 4 March 2020 and will continue until the position(s) are filled.
24.    The senior international expert will be nominated by the Accreditation Committee and will be endorsed by the Board through an open, transparent and competitive selection process based on the criteria above and the annexed terms of reference.
25.    The senior international expert will be expected to work remotely with the possibility to attend meetings of the Accreditation Panel and the Accreditation Committee and also meetings of the Board, either physically or electronically. The Secretariat will communicate and assist with any travel requirements relating to the work of the Accreditation Panel. Travel may also be required to conduct on-site visits to applicant entities as a part of the review process.

Terms of reference of the Fund’s Accreditation Panel (decision B.07/02, Annex V)

I.    Role and mandate

1.    The Accreditation Panel (the Panel) will be an independent technical panel of the Fund to advise the Board on matters relating to:
(a)    Independent technical advice to the Board on the results of the in-depth assessment and review of individual applications for accreditation;
(b)    Expertise in good-practice fiduciary principles and standards, financial intermediation functions, intermediation regulations and oversight;
(c)    Expertise in environmental and social safeguards, as well as in evaluating environmental and social management systems in order to ensure that applicant entities have the capacity to implement and oversee the Fund’s interim and subsequent ESS;
(d)    Expertise in international and recognized good practices in accreditation procedures and systems;
(e)    Expert policy advice on developing countries’ special circumstances, including sustainability and climate-related issues;
(f)    Members of the Panel will have a three-year term, with the possibility of renewal for a maximum of another consecutive term.

II.    Composition and quorum

2.    The Panel will be composed of six senior expert members, ensuring balanced representation between developing and developed countries and appropriate range of expertise. 
3.    The Panel may also invite senior expert observer members, on an ad-hoc or regular basis, to participate at sessions where no confidential information will be discussed.
4.    The Secretariat will participate ex-officio.
5.    Quorum will consist of participation by at least four senior expert members.

2.1    Chair and Vice-Chair
6.    The Panel will appoint its Chair and Vice-Chair. In the event of absence or inability to participate in meetings of the Panel by the Chair, the Vice-Chair will automatically chair the meetings. 
7.    The mandate of the Chair and Vice-Chair will extend for one year.

2.2    Senior expert members

8.    The senior expert members of the Panel will be selected and appointed through a nomination by the Board members and alternates of the Panel and endorsement by the Board. The composition of the senior expert members should ensure availability in the Panel of the following core areas of competency:
(a)    Governance systems, financial management, audit and control framework;
(b)    Project management cycle and activity oversight;
(c)    Transparency, investigation and anti-fraud provisions;
(d)    Environmental and social safeguards and environmental and social management systems;
(e)    Financial intermediation and/or financial sector supervision and oversight;
(f)    Experience in working in/with developing countries.
9.    Senior expert members will therefore demonstrate recognized capacity and expertise in their fields of competency, supported by a successful career track at senior and executive level. In addition to this, each senior expert member will be able to demonstrate unquestionable personal reputation, integrity and ethical behaviour throughout her or his professional trajectory.
10.    Senior expert members may be appointed for a consecutive term.

2.3    Expert observer members
11.    Expert observer members from specialized entities may be invited to participate in the non-confidential meetings or sessions of the Panel as deemed necessary in order to enhance the capacity of its work.
12.    The Panel will issue an invitation to the expert observer member, or the institution s/he represents.
13.    The Panel will agree, in consultation with the Secretariat, on the modalities for participation by expert observers. These modalities may be revised at any time to reflect the evolving needs of the Panel.

III.    Modalities of work

14.    The Panel will operate as a senior and independent technical advisory body of the Fund, and will report and be accountable to the Board. The Panel will be bound by these terms of reference as well as by relevant policies and procedures, including a code of conduct, to be developed by the Panel and endorsed by the Board. The rules and procedures of the Board, as well as any other relevant guidelines to be adopted by the Board, will apply mutatis mutandis to the Panel.
15.    Meetings of the Panel may be held with members being either physically or electronically present. The dates and modalities of meetings will be determined by the Panel taking into account criteria of efficiency and effectiveness.
16.    The Chair of the Panel will define the agenda and calendar of meetings of the Panel. 
17.    The Panel may also develop rules and procedures, in addition to the above, that are necessary to enhance transparency and effectively guide the conduct of its meetings. The Panel will submit to the Board the additional agreed rules and procedures for endorsement.
18.    In conducting the review of applications for accreditation, the Panel may decide to make use of additional external technical experts. The Panel will clearly allocate responsibilities for the external technical expert, which will be included in their mission plan.
19.    The Panel, with support from the Secretariat, will maintain a roster of external technical experts and develop standard terms of reference for their work.

IV.    Compensation
20.    Travel and accommodation costs, per diem payment and a daily fee will be paid to senior expert members attending a meeting of the Panel in accordance with the Fund’s rules and regulations.
21.    If a senior expert member of the Panel is requested to carry out a specific task between meetings, they will be compensated for the task undertaken by means of payment of daily fees, subject to the input being of good quality and delivered in good time. The daily fee will be determined in accordance with the Fund’s rules and regulations. The number of days necessary to complete a task will be determined by the Chair of the Panel in consultation with the Secretariat.
22.    Travel and accommodation costs, per diem payment and a daily fee will be paid to external technical experts in accordance with the Fund’s rules and regulations and the external technical experts’ terms of reference.
23.    Expert observers will not receive any payment and will be supported in their participation in meetings entirely by the entities they represent or in their own capacity. 
V.    Disclosure of conflict of interest
24.    All members of the Panel should disclose any actual, potential or perceived conflict of interest in relation to any of the activities, discussions and recommendations of the Panel, which will be duly recorded.
25.    Furthermore, at the time of appointment, all members of the Panel will sign the oath contained in the Appendix to these terms of reference.
VI.    Revision and termination of the terms of reference of the Panel
26.    The Board may revise these terms of reference as necessary in order to incorporate lessons learned and to reflect the evolving needs of the accreditation process of the Fund. 
27.    The mandate and terms of reference of the Panel may be revised or terminated by the Board, if deemed necessary.

Appendix:    Oath to be taken by members of the Accreditation Panel

“I solemnly declare that I shall perform my duties as a member of the Accreditation Panel (the Panel) of the Green Climate Fund (the Fund), honourably, faithfully, impartially and conscientiously.
I further solemnly declare and promise that I shall disclose any financial interest or any other real or perceived conflict of interest in: the accreditation of subnational, national, regional and/or international intermediaries and IEs of the Fund; the consideration and provision of advice on best-practice fiduciary principles and standards and environmental and social safeguards; and, in general, in any other matter in connection with the fulfilment of the mandate of the Panel.
I shall refrain from participating in the consideration of accreditation applications or policy discussions where any financial interest or any other real or perceived conflict of interest may arise, or where any personal circumstance might be incompatible with the requirements of integrity and impartiality expected of a member of the Panel.
Subject to my responsibilities to the Panel, I shall not disclose, even after the termination of my functions, any confidential or proprietary information which is transferred to the Board, the Panel or the Secretariat, or any other confidential information coming to my knowledge by reason of my duties for the Panel.”

Full name:    ____________________________________________________

Date:        ____________________________________________________

Signature:    ____________________________________________________

1.Refer to decision B.07/02

2.The membership of the Accreditation Committee was revised to three members or alternate members from developing country Parties and three members or alternate members from developed country Parties, in decision B.10/06, paragraph (q).

3.Decision B.08/02.

4.Refer to .<https://www.greenclimate.fund/boardroom/decisions>. 

5.Decision B.23/15, paragraph (b), requests the Accreditation Committee, in consultation with the Head of the Independent Integrity Unit, to consider the best way to integrate the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Policy in the interim fiduciary standards and present to the Board a proposal for its consideration in 2019 as a matter of urgency. A proposal on integration has yet to be presented to the Board for its consideration. After adoption by the Board of the revised initial fiduciary standards, the accreditation process may be amended to reflect them.

6.The Policy on Prohibited Practices adopted in decision B.22/19 replaces the General Policy on Prohibited Practices adopted by the Board in decision B.12/31, paragraph (h).

7.Decision B.23/16, paragraph (b), requests the Accreditation Committee, in consultation with the Head of the Independent Integrity Unit, to consider the best ways to update and amend, as appropriate, the requirements placed on Accredited Entities in the relevant standards, safeguards and policies of GCF so as to integrate the obligations set out in the policy. A proposal on the update or amendment has yet to be presented to the Board for its consideration. After adoption by the Board of either the revised initial fiduciary standards, ESS standards or Gender Policy, the accreditation process may be amended to reflect them.

8.Decision B.19/10. 

9.Decision B.07/02. The Board has adopted the IFC Performance Standards as the interim ESS standards that will be guided by the International Finance Corporation guidance notes, which provide more detail on each performance standard, until its own ESS standards are fully developed and adopted by GCF. The Board in its decision B.07/02, paragraph (d), also decided to complete the development of the GCF’s own ESS and accordingly, in decision B.23/02, approved the proposed approach for the development of GCF ESS standards and requested the Secretariat proceed with said  development.

10.Decision B.12/35.