Deadline: 28th of February 2025

Disclaimer: All official information can be found in the Open Call. These FAQs are also subject to change, please check this page regularly prior to sending in your application and maintain communication with the GEO-LDN team.

Assessment grid

We encourage applications even if not all criteria are met. A ranking will be applied. All applications will be assessed by the GEO-LDN committee.

When should I send the application?
We encourage all Applicants to send in their Expression of Interest, CVs for each member of the intersectoral team and a Data Consent form signed by each member of the inter-sectoral team as soon as possible. This will give us more time to identify any missing documents and prepare for a potentially successful application. Do not hesitate to email PSIDS-dialogue@ehs.unu.edu. for any questions. The final deadline is 11:59 pm (CEST), 28th of February 2025.

Why is the call re-opened?
The United Nations University - Institute for Environment and Human Security joined the Call for the Regional Dialogue Forum as new implementing partner. As academic arm of the United Nations, UNU-EHS contributes specifically by adding a science-policy perspective for supporting countries in implementing goals and targets of the three Rio Conventions, UNCCD, UNFCCC and CBD, in an integrated manner. The aim of the RDF was therefore extended, to facilitate peer-to-peer exchange and in-person support on national challenges regarding reaching LDN targets, as well as other land-related targets linked to climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation

What is a 3-member inter-sectoral team?
As per the Open Call, an ideal intersectoral team is made up of 3 members that represent diverse expertise and backgrounds. Two of the members would work for and represent two different government institutions. At least one of these government institutions should oversee spatial planning in a country/region. The other governmental institutions should also be related to spatial planning or land use planning. 

Of the 3-member inter-sectoral team, ideally 1 or more should be female. It would also be advantageous if the institution that directly monitors Land Degradation Neutrality and reports it to the UNCCD is represented by 1 member. Officials reporting to the UNFCCC and CBD are also encouraged. Finally, it is favourable to have a GIS or Remote Sensing Specialist directly involved in reporting to UNCCD, UNFCCC or CBD included.  

Can intersectoral teams with less than 3 members also apply?
No. Each team should consist of 3 members.

Can intersectoral teams with more than 3 members also apply?
Yes. However, we reserve the right to only sponsor 3 members of the intersectoral team. The extra members may be accepted to attend the Global Dialogue Forum, but all financing and logistics would have to be organised by the team.

Can participating teams bring additional team members or stakeholders to the Forum, even if they are not part of the official country team?
We encourage teams to apply with maximum 3 members. However, we will also take into consideration applications more than 3 members. This needs to be specifically mentioned in the application. Applications with more than 3 members may also be successful, but we reserve the right to only sponsor 3 participants. This would mean the team itself has to sponsor and organise all logistics for the extra participants.

Do participants have to be English speakers? Will there be interpretation/translation at the event?
The Regional Dialogue Forum will be held in English. Interpretation and/or translation services cannot be provided. Participants do not have to be Native English Speakers but need sufficient English language skills to follow and participate in the workshop.    

Can a team still apply if there is no specific department for spatial planning on a national level?
Yes, teams can still apply even if they do not meet all the criteria, it simply means they don’t have as strong of an application. The more criteria that you fulfil, the better the chance for the application and applicants to stand out and be selected as sponsored participants at the Regional Dialogue Forum as per the criteria you can see in the official open call.

Will all selected teams be guaranteed sponsorship to attend the Pacifics Dialogue Forum?
Any team that is selected to attend the Pacifics Dialogue Forum through this Open Call will be fully sponsored. However, there are also teams and applicants who may not be selected that can attend the Pacifics Dialogue Forum however would have to seek funding through other mechanisms.

Can two different inter-sectoral teams representing the same country be sponsored to attend the Pacifics Dialogue Forum?
No. Each application will be ranked against the criteria and the higher-ranked application will be selected. However, if we see several applications representing the same countries, we will encourage them to combine efforts.

Can two countries be allowed to present a joint use case?
Ideally each use case is context specific and related to the LDN targets and Land Use Planning processes in one country. This means that each intersectoral team represents a use case that is limited to only one country. However, the individuals who make up that intersectoral team can come from or be nationals of different countries (if they are from ODA recipient countries as mentioned in the Open Call). We are also open to trans-border (involving more than 1 country) use cases with a proper justification.

Can I apply as an Individual to attend the Pacifics Dialogue Forum?
Unfortunately, no. You must apply as part of a 3-member intersectoral team to be sponsored to join the Pacific Dialogue Forum. We can try and connect you with other individuals who have shown interest from your country if you currently find yourself as a one person or two-person team.

Are there any pre-event workshops or training sessions for selected teams to prepare for the Forum?
Yes, however the exact details are still to be decided and reliant on the specific challenges/use cases from successful applicants.

Are there any specific expectations regarding the use of geospatial technologies and earth observation data in the presented use cases?
At the very minimum, intersectoral teams need to be open to using Geospatial data/Earth Observations and relevant tools to addresses the use case/challenges. Ideally members of the team are already working with geospatial technologies and have ideas on how GEO-LDN can further support them.

Are there any specific requirements for female representation in the country teams?
As part of the knockout criteria, Intersectoral teams should have at least 1 female member.

How can we access the necessary documents for the open call?
Please check that you click on the tab called ‘Event Information’, it can be found to the left of the FAQ tab, scroll to the bottom of the page, and click on the three blue buttons named Open Call Document, Data Protection Consent Form and Application Guidelines. There is also another tab where the criteria.