During GEF-4, targeted support was provided to prepare National Capacity Self Assessments (NSCAs) that serve as a planning document for capacity development in every country. 143 countries have completed their NCSAs and received funding; and additional 4 countries will be funded by the end of GEF-4. The progress of NCSA and reports are available at: http://ncsa.undp.org/index.cfm

The NCSA defines a country’s capacity as the ability of individuals, groups, organizations, and institutions to address the priority environmental issues of global environmental conventions as part of efforts to achieve sustainable development. The report addresses capacity needs at individual, institutional, and systemic levels. In order to meet MEA responsibilities,  countries will need the capacity to manage functions that are fundamentally important by mobilize information and knowledge; build consultative partnerships among stakeholders in different sectors of the economy; formulate policies, legislation, and programs to implement conventions; and monitor, evaluate, and learn.

A cross-cutting capacity development also ensures that capacity created by focal area capacity building projects is retained in countries following project completion.
In-depth analysis of capacity needs of the three Conventions revealed the following cross-cutting issues are common to the three Conventions:

• Prevention, protection, and conservation of natural resources consistent with common policy for sustainable development. The parties have common responsibilities, but differentiated obligations and they have to integrate the objectives of the Conventions in development programmes.
• As an obligation under the Conventions, specific long-term policies, strategies and programmes need to be formulated by the parties. These programmes should include action plans backed by legislation for their implementation under the Conventions.
• Fulfilling the obligations and the recommendations under the three Conventions requires international cooperation through exchange of information and good practices, transfer of technologies and financial support for local and regional programs.
• The three Conventions stipulate that there should be interagency coordination, supported by science through public dissemination of information.
• Implementation of the activities under the Conventions should be subject to environmental impact assessment (EIA) and must build the capacity for effective implementation through training and awareness creation.
• The three Conventions have common obligations in respect of land use planning, utilization of forest products and sustainable soil management for agriculture and forestry. All three Conventions are influenced by climatic variables and water resources.
• The Conventions deal with demographic characteristics, such as population density, poverty and encroachment of settlements,  which can result in natural resource degradation and emission of greenhouse gases
• The Conventions stipulate that there should be an efficient technical infrastructure for assessing the current situation and future implementation of improvements
• Establishment of indicators for monitoring and control, and trends and forecasts for predicting the occurrences of events that hinder sustainable management of natural resources
• Maintaining records to inventory changes and assess costs and benefits
• It is a requirement of all three Conventions to establish a National Secretariat to oversight of activities such as development of national communications, mitigation and adaptation projects, and action plans
• Participation of stakeholders: governmental agencies and organizations, local authorities, the private sector, academic and scientific communities, community-based organizations, civil society, and the media
• A sound environment for socioeconomic development of the respective countries, with the guiding principles being the development of capacities at the systemic, institutional, and human levels
• Provision of financial support through the national budget and international sources for the implementation of the Conventions.
   

During GEF-4, countries that used targets, indicators, and tracking tools, received funding for cross-cutting capacity development to fulfill cross-cutting capacity needs. List of project and countries support can be found here.