Global Environment Facility

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The Global Environment Facility (GEF) was established by donor governments in 1991 to provide conservation finance proposed at the Earth Summit. It helps beneficiary nations to fund projects and programs that aimed to protect the global environment. GEF grants support projects related to biodiversity, climate change, international waters, land degradation, the ozone layer, and persistent organic pollutants.

1 GEF Funding
2 GEF Structure
3 External links
- 3.1 News

[edit] GEF Funding

Since 1991, the Global Environment Facility has provided more than $6.2 billion in grants and generated over $20 billion in co-financing from other sources. This has supported over 1,800 projects that produce global environmental benefits in 140 developing countries and countries with economies in transition. Up to 20% of this funding flows through Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs).

The GEF is also the financial mechanism for four international environmental conventions:

The Convention on Biological Diversity
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants

As such, the GEF helps fund initiatives that assist developing countries in meeting the objectives of the conventions. GEF also collaborates closely with other international treaties and agreements.

GEF funds are contributed by donor countries. In 2002, 32 donor countries pledged $3 billion to fund operations through 2006. At the Fourth GEF Assembly in 2006, an additional $3.13 billion.

[edit] GEF Structure

Ultimate decision-making lies with the GEF Assembly. The GEF Assembly is the governing body of the GEF, in which representatives of all 176 member countries participate. It meets every three to four years, and is responsible for reviewing and evaluating the GEF's general policies, the operation of the GEF, and its membership. Ministers and high-level government delegations of all GEF member countries take part in the meetings.

The GEF Assembly selects a subset of its members to serve on the GEF Council. The GEF Council functions as an independent board of directors, with primary responsibility for developing, adopting, and evaluating GEF programs. Council members representing 32 constituencies (16 from developing countries, 14 from developed countries, and two from countries with transitional economies) meet twice each year for three days and also conduct business by mail. All decisions are by consensus. The Council's open door policy toward non-governmental organizations and representatives of civil society makes it unique among international financial institutions.

The GEF Secretariat, with a staff of 40 based in Washington, D.C., reports directly to the GEF Council and Assembly, ensuring that their decisions are translated into effective actions. The secretariat coordinates the formulation of projects included in the annual work program, oversees its implementation, and makes certain that operational strategy and policies are followed.

In establishing the GEF, the nations involved chose to tap the comparative advantages of three experienced institutions to implement its projects, rather than construct a new one. These GEF projects are managed by a set of Implementing Agencies, notably:

Each plays a key role in managing GEF projects on the ground. Through them, the GEF has quickly amassed a diverse project portfolio serving the developing world, Eastern Europe, and the Russian Federation - more than 140 countries altogether. Moreover, GEF teamwork by these partners reinforces their individual efforts to mainstream or incorporate global environment concerns into all of their policies and programs. They also work through various Executing Agencies, such as regional development banks, FAO, IMO and UNIDO.

An independent GEF Evaluation Office is also located in Washington, D.C., and reports directly to the GEF Council.