GEF Council Consultation Meeting With Civil Society Organizations

Highlights for Wednesday, 12 November 2012Faizal Parish, GEF NGO Network Central Focal Point, opened the Consultation on Monday, 12 November 2012, and noted that, while significant progress has been achieved in the 16 years since the NGO Network was formed, much more is needed.

Highlights for Wednesday, 13 November 2012On Tuesday, 13 November 2012, Naoko Ishii, CEO and Chairperson of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), opened the 43rd meeting of the GEF Council by underscoring the GEF's potential and its important role. She outlined three areas of focus for the Council: looking ahead to the future of the GEF; taking decisions to strengthen GEF partnerships; and managing GEF resources prudently and effectively. The Council then elected João Raimundo Lopes (Council member for Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Chad, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal and The Gambia) to Co-Chair the meeting, and proceeded to address a number of agenda items. Council members offered their constituencies' views on the vision for the GEF 2020, following a keynote address by Francisco Gaetani, Vice-Minister of Environment of Brazil. Braulio Ferreira de Sousa Dias, CBD Executive Secretary, and Jim Willis, Executive Secretary of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions, offered statements, and Thomas Lovejoy, Chairperson of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel (STAP), offered a report on the STAP's activities. The Council also discussed relations with the conventions and other international institutions, the proposed framework for a financial mechanism for the future mercury convention and draft operational program for mercury, and financial projections for GEF-5 programming options.

Highlights for Wednesday, 14 November 2012On Wednesday, 14 November 2012, the 43rd meeting of the GEF Council discussed agenda items on, inter alia: progress report from the Director of the GEF Evaluation Office; annual thematic evaluations report 2012 and management report; annual impact report 2012 and management response; accreditation process for GEF project agencies; and the work program. They also received a briefing on the proposed process for the GEF-6 replenishment. After hours of debate, Council members adopted a decision on streamlining of the project cycle that also raises the ceiling on medium-sized projects, subject to streamlined procedures, to US$2 million. A lengthy debate on financial projections for GEF-5 programming options to deal with funding shortfalls did not result in a consensus and Council will return to this discussion on Thursday.

Highlights for Wednesday, 15 November 2012 On the third and final day of the 43rd Meeting of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Council, Council members completed their consideration of a number of agenda items and convened for the 13th meeting of the Least Developed Countries Fund/Special Climate Change Fund (LDCF/SCCF) Council. The work program adopted by the GEF Council amounts to US$174 million, and benefits 63 countries. The work program adopted by the LDCF/SCCF Council amounts to US$28.544 million for the SCCF and US$1.87 million for the LDCF. Belgium, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden announced new contributions to the LDCF and SCCF amounting to US$80.8 million.