This Readiness request aims to contribute to a shift towards sustainable human capital development in North Macedonia. This change process will be achieved through building capacities and creating an evidence-based and enabling environ- ment in the health, education, and labor & social protection sectors. These sectors are dealing with the socially vulnerable and marginalized groups but are often over- looked in climate finance discussions.

Consultations with key stakeholders have pointed out the importance to comple- ment the ongoing readiness efforts by targeting human capital development through a sectoral approach. In this way, the identified gaps such as the lack of consistent and transparent data, low levels of climate change mainstreaming into the three specified sectors, and lacking climate change knowledge and coordination, can be addressed.

This Readiness request will address the existing needs through:

• Strengthening the capacity of the NDA and the Strategic Advisory Com- mittee (SAC) to guide and advise on climate finance and project imple- mentation with an integrated dimension of sustainable development of hu- man capital;
• Enhancing capacities and coordination of the key ministries, relevant pub- lic institutions, civil society, academia and private sector with regard to mainstreaming climate change aspects in the health, labor & social pro- tection and education sectors;
• Producing data, knowledge and policy recommendations to mainstream climate change considerations into strategic frameworks for the three sectors.

This request will result in North Macedonia’s NDA, Strategic Advisory Committee (SAC) and relevant leading sectoral institutions having the capacity to plan and im- plement climate-related measures, including GCF-funded activities. Over time, the impacts of these activities will lead to the envisioned shift towards sustainable de- velopment of human capital capable to respond to challenges of climate change in North Macedonia, benefiting above all socially vulnerable and marginalized groups.

Moreover, the request will contribute to advancing North Macedonia’s national cli- mate efforts, building on previous, ongoing and planned GCF readiness support, and advancing the implementation of strategic documents, including the enhanced NDC, draft Long-term Strategy and Law on Climate Action, the UN Agenda 2030 and the SDGs, GCF national country work programme that is under development as well as sectoral development and climate change plans and efforts.