Highlights and images for 13 June 2019

Highlights for Thursday, 13 June 2019

On the third and final day of the 56th meeting of the GEF Council, the Council convened as the 26th meeting of the Council for the Least Developed Countries Fund and the Special Climate Change Fund (LDCF/SCCF), and approved the Joint Summary of the Chairs for the joint Council meeting.Naoko Ishii, GEF CEO and Chairperson, acting as Co-Chair of the LDCF/SCCF Council, shared takeaway messages from a recent meeting of the Global Commission on Adaptation. She highlighted the upcoming UN Secretary-General’s Climate Action Summit and the 25th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change as opportunities to accelerate action on the ground. She also thanked Ireland for its EUR 2 million contribution to the LDCF.In a keynote address, Orsalia Kalantzopoulos, CEO, Europa Re Ltd., outlined her Swiss-based catastrophe risk reinsurance company’s efforts to provide climate risk insurance coverage in southeastern Europe, saying its experience can be replicated in other regions.GEF Council Members, convening as the 26th meeting of the LDCF/SCCF Council, adopted a joint LDCF/SCCF work program
comprising 12 projects, with resources amounting to USD 103.41 million for the LDCF and SCCF, including project grants and Agency fees. They also welcomed the Fiscal Year 2018 Annual Monitoring Review of the Funds and its finding that 87% and 94% of LDCF and SCCF projects under implementation in FY18, respectively, were rated “moderately satisfactory” or above for their progress towards development objectives.Following approval of the Joint Summary of the Chairs for both the GEF Council and the LDCF/SCCF Council meetings, GEF CEO and Chairperson Naoko Ishii closed the meeting at 12:02 pm.

IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ Meeting Coverage, provided daily web coverage, video coverage, and a summary report from the GEF Council Consultation Meeting with CSOs, 56th GEF Council Meeting, and 26th Meeting of the LDCF/SCCF Council. The summary report is now available in HTML and PDF.

Photos by IISD/ENB | Francis Dejon

For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page.

The Council convenes as the 26th meeting of the LDCF/SCCF Council.

Naoko Ishii, GEF CEO and Chairperson

Orsalia Kalantzopoulos, CEO, Europe Re Ltd, presents on climate risk insurance efforts in southeastern Europe.

Stefan Schwager, Council Member, Switzerland

Stephanie Bouziges-Eschmann, Alternate Council Member, France

Sydah Naigaga, Regional Focal Point, Eastern Africa, GEF-CSO Network

Marjolein Geusebroek, Advisor, the Netherlands

Participants hear a presentation on the LDCF Work Program.

Gustavo Fonseca and Chizuru Aoki, GEF Secretariat, respond to comments from the floor on the Annual Monitoring Review of the LDCF and SCCF.

Juho Uitto and Anna Viggh, IEO, discuss the LDCF/SCCF Annual Evaluation Report.

Jozef Buys, Council Member, Belgium

Kordula Mehlhart, Council Member, Germany

Peter Elder, Council Member, Australia

Ludovica Soderini, Advisor, Italy

GEF CEO and Chairperson Naoko Ishii closes the meeting at 12:02 pm.

Françoise Clottes, GEF Secretariat, says goodbye to Jozef Buys, Council Member, Belgium.

L-R: Comlon Awougnon, Alternate Council Member, Togo, consults with Jean-Marc Sinnassamy, GEF Secretariat.

L-R: Rachna Ramsurn, Council Member, Mauritius, and Aparna Subramani, Council Member, India, share a moment.

L-R: William Ehlers, GEF Secretariat; Praveen Prasad Desabatla, World Bank; and Peter Lallas, GEF Secretariat, consult on the Chairs' Joint Summary of the meetings.