Adequate level of funding is measured by actual resources received against the annual planned budgets. Core funding, which includes the Environment Fund, is particularly important for the balanced delivery of the Programme of Work as it enables the flexible allocation of funds based on need, whereas earmarked funding prioritizes certain activities over others; hence, the continued call for a shift towards increased soft earmarked funding.
For the Regular Budget, no funding gaps emerge because the budget approved by the General Assembly (GA) is followed by disbursements from the assessed contributions to the UN. However, an increase in the UN Regular Budget from 2016, as proposed to the GA, is needed for better coverage of the core secretariat functions as originally envisaged. The biannual budget for the Global Environment Facility (GEF) is only indicative and based on annual expenditure trends, while the actual amounts are dependent on the successful submissions of multi-year project proposals within each GEF cycle.
The following donors have helped in ensuring adequate funding by making the biggest contributions to UN Environment:
