The Santiago Network
The Santiago network, established in December 2019, plays a crucial role in addressing climate change impacts in developing countries. It catalyzes technical assistance from diverse organizations, bodies, networks, and experts (OBNEs) to support developing countries in averting, minimizing, and addressing loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change.
The Santiago Network operates through three arms: an Advisory Board, a network of OBNEs designated as Members of the network, and a hosted Secretariat. UNDRR and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) are the hosts of the Santiago Network Secretariat. Besides hosting the Secretariat, UNDRR provides technical backstopping.
The Santiago Network Secretariat head office is in Geneva, Switzerland. Regional coordinators, desk officers and contact points will be hosted in UNDRR and UNOPS offices to expand the reach of the Santiago Network to developing countries.
Regional Coordinators:
- Bangkok to serve the Asia-Pacific region (UNDRR)
- Panama to serve the Latin American and Caribbean region (UNDRR)
- Dar es Salaam to serve the African Region (UNOPS)
Desk Officers:
- Dakar to serve Least Developed Countries (UNOPS)
- Suva to serve small island developing States (UNDRR)
Designated contact points located in UNDRR regional and subregional offices:
- Addis Ababa
- Barbados
- Brussels
- Cairo
Functions of the Santiago network
(a) Contributing to the effective implementation of the functions of the Warsaw International Mechanism
(b) Catalysing demand-driven technical assistance in developing countries
(c) Facilitating the consideration of a wide range of topics relevant to averting, minimizing and addressing loss and damage approaches
(d) Facilitating and catalysing collaboration, coordination, coherence and synergies to accelerate action by organizations, bodies, networks and experts, across communities of practices, and for them to deliver effective and efficient technical assistance to developing countries;
(e) Facilitating the development, provision and dissemination of, and access to, knowledge and information on loss and damage, including comprehensive risk management approaches, at the regional, national and local level;
(f) Facilitating, through catalysing technical assistance, of organizations, bodies, networks and experts, access to action and support (finance, technology and capacity building)
Santiago Network Strategic Priorities (2026-2028)
The first Santiago Network Strategy outlines five strategic priorities that support the achievement of functions highlighted above:
- Understanding technical assistance needs and priorities
- Scaling up delivery of demand-driven technical assistance
- Growing a strong, diverse and engaged Member network
- Enabling an effective loss and damage ecosystem and access to finance, technology and capacity building
- Engaging in rapid learning and sharing knowledge from delivery
