Statement from the outgoing Co‑Chairs of the Santiago Network Advisory Board

As we conclude our term as Co‑Chairs of the Santiago Network Advisory Board, we would like to acknowledge the significant progress made by the Santiago Network Secretariat during the period between the fifth and sixth Advisory Board meetings. This reporting period marked a key transition, closing out the Network’s set‑up phase and initiating implementation of the 2026–2027 work programme, building on the foundations laid under the 2024–2025 work programme.

We note in particular the strengthening of the Secretariat’s institutional capacity, including the completion of recruitment for permanent positions and the onboarding of new personnel, which has established the Secretariat’s regional presence and enhanced ability to scale delivery. During this period, technical assistance has accelerated, with more than 20 technical assistance formal requests received up to now and eight active calls for proposals launched  for experts to apply across several regions, including in least developed countries (LDCs) and small island developing states (SIDS). These developments reflect the growing operational maturity of the Santiago Network and its readiness to support countries in averting, minimizing, and addressing loss and damage.

We welcome a key new milestone with the launch of a simplified window for community‑led technical assistance on 23 March 2026,  enabling communities to shape and drive inclusive efforts to avert, minimise, and address loss and damage through a faster, more accessible process. This development coincides with the Santiago Network’s receipt of its first request from a civil society organisation.

In parallel, we appreciate progress in positioning the Santiago Network within the loss and damage architecture, strengthening collaboration with the WIM Executive Committee (ExCom) and the Fund for responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD) at both the operational level and between Co-Chairs. The development of strategic instruments, such as the revised Results Framework, further supports this positioning and provides clarity on the Network’s intended results as it moves into a phase of scaled delivery.

We also wish to recognize the Secretariat’s progress in growing a strong, diverse, and engaged membership base. During the reporting period, membership expanded to 108 Members, including a diverse group of organizations, bodies, networks, and individual experts, strengthening the Network’s capacity to respond to an increasing range of technical assistance needs.

As outgoing Co‑Chairs, we are confident that these advances provide a strong foundation for the incoming Co‑Chairs and the Advisory Board to guide the Network through its next phase, with a continued focus on delivering demand-driven technical assistance.

We wish the new Co‑Chairs every success in carrying out their mandate.

— Angela Rivera and Stella Brożek-Everaert, Outgoing Co-Chairs of the Santiago Network Advisory Board