IISD Reporting Services (IISD RS) Coverage
IISD RS has provided daily web coverage (including photos and videos from selected side events) and daily reports of the 46th meeting of the GEF Council. In addition, IISD RS has produced 750-word web summary of the CSOs Forum as well as daily web coverage and daily reports of the 5th GEF Assembly. To download our reports, click the HTML or PDF icons below.


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25 May 2014
26 May 2014
27 May 2014


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28 May 2014
29 May 2014
Summary


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2 June 2014


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2 June 2014

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Forty-sixth meeting of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Council, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) Forum, 16th meeting of the Least Developed Countries Fund and the Special Climate Change Fund (LDCF/SCCF) Council, and 5th GEF Assembly

25-30 May 2014 | Cancún, Mexico

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Daily Web Coverage (click on the following links to see our daily web pages)

Introduction - 25 May - 26 May - 27 May - 28 May - 29 May - Summary

Summary Highlights of the Events

Members of the GEF Secretariat at the end of the Assembly

Highlights for Sunday, 25 May 2014

On Sunday morning, participants convened in plenary for the opening of the 46th meeting of the GEF Council. They considered annual monitoring and review, long term strategy for the GEF and summary of the negotiations of the Sixth Replenishment of the GEF Trust Fund. In the afternoon participants addressed the proposal for the system of transparent allocation of resources (STAR) for GEF-6, co-financing policy, annual performance report 2013 main findings and recommendations and management response and annual country portfolio evaluation report 2014 and management response.

Visit the web coverage for Sunday, 25 May 2014.

Download the daily report for Monday, 25 May 2014 in HTML or PDF format.

View of the Moon Palace Arena, venue of the GEF Council meeting

L-R: Elected Co-Chair Juha Pyykkö, Finland; Naoko Ishii, GEF CEO and Chairperson; and William Ehlers, GEF Secretariat

The Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) and the IUCN-International Union for Conservation of Nature, joined the GEF as new accredited project agencies. Left, Mohale Rakgate, DBSA, and Naoko Ishii, GEF CEO and Chairperson. Right, Julia Marton-Lefèvre, Director-General, IUCN, who addressed the council via a video message.

The dais during the morning session

Highlights for Moday, 26 May 2014

On Monday morning, participants convened in plenary to consider the Work Program, report of the Chairperson of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel, the Work Program and budget of the GEF Independent Evaluation office and the report of the second professional peer review of the GEF evaluation function and management response. In the afternoon, participants addressed the GEF business plan and FY15 corporate budget, the GEF Small Grants Programme’s: implementation arrangements for GEF-6, relations with the conventions and other international institutions and an update on the Nagoya Protocol Implementation Fund.

Visit the web coverage for Monday, 26 May 2014.

Download the daily report for Monday, 26 May 2014 in HTML or PDF format.

Participants at the 46th meeting of the GEF Council

L-R: Gustavo Fonseca, GEF Secretariat; Robert Dixon, GEF Secretariat; Co-Chair Juha Pyykkö, Finland; Naoko Ishii, GEF CEO and Chairperson; and William Ehlers, GEF Secretariat

GEF Council members discussing the agenda item on “Report of the Chairperson of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel”

Jozef Buys, Belgium, in consultations with William Ehlers, GEF Secretariat

Highlights for Tuesday, 27 May 2014

GEF Council Meeting
On Tuesday morning, participants convened in plenary to conclude consideration of GEF Council agenda items, including: appointment of the Director of the Independent Evaluation Office and other business. The Least Developed Country Fund (LDCF) and Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF) meeting also took place in the morning. In the afternoon the closing plenary of the GEF Council convened. The Civil Society Forum convened throughout the day.

CSO Forum: The Civil Society Organizations Forum Partnerships for the Future took place on Tuesday, 27 May 2014. Introductory remarks were provided by Jonathan Ryan, Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT); Rodolfo Lacy Tamayo, Mexican Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources; Naoko Ishii, GEF CEO and Chairperson; Faizal Parish, Central focal point GEF CSO Network; Jorge Legorreta, SEMARNAT; and Leon Gutierrez Ferretiz, Regional Consultative Council on Sustainable Development for the South-South East of Mexico.

Keynote Session on Strategic Issues: Parish opened the session. Lorenzo Rosenweig, Fondo Mexicano para la Conservacion, discussed key social drivers for successful interactions with local communities, highlighting that they are in need of basic financial knowledge.

Carlos Manuel Rodríguez, Conservation International, emphasized the importance of moving towards a "re-use and recycle" approach and to radically rethink our current method of assessing economic growth. He called on GEF to enhance partnerships with CSOs beyond the SGPs, while noting the relevance of successfully achieving the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and a future global climate agreement.

Showcasing CSO Achievements and Contributions to the Forum and Assembly Themes: During the session participants learned about several successful experiences regarding CSOs' work.

Rosa Maria Vidal, Pronatura Sur, Mexico, presented on the sacred orchids of Chiapas, stressing the intangible value of biodiversity and the vitality of building capacity at the local level to improve stakeholder engagement.

Arturo Arreola, IDESMAC, Mexico, presented the case of “El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve,” which demonstrated the benefits of using GEF resources for empowering local communities in the Chiapas in the process of organic coffee certification.

Kemi Fadojutimi, Bright Generation Community Foundation, Ghana, showcased the successful development of bamboo bikes as an innovative solution for clean transportation and livelihood improvement.

Paul Raja Rao Valaperla, Bharati Integrated Rural Development Society, India, highlighted the role of CSOs in helping local communities to better respond to climate change in India.

David Olvera, Conservation International, Mexico, talked about the importance of partners’ commitment beyond the environmental community, while discussing biodiversity mainstreaming at the sub-watershed scale in Chiapas.

Noel Resurreccion, Haribon Foundation for the Conservation of Natural Resources, Philippines, stressed the role of communities in adequate biodiversity assessment and conservation and said that partnerships should strive for simple communication approaches.

Colin Herron, TNC, Mexico, built on his experience of a public-private partnership regarding water funds affirming that it is crucial to move beyond philanthropy to find a good "business case" when trying to engage the private sector.

Maria Leichner, Fundacion ECOS, Uruguay, described a successful engagement of CSOs in promoting biodiversity and climate change plans in Uruguay, underscoring the importance of integrated approaches for long-term policies.

Delfim Ganapin, GEF SGP, and Essam Nada, Global Network of CSO for Disaster Reduction, presented CommunitiesConnect, a project funded by the GEF SGP that aims to facilitate the exchange of good practices between CSOs.

Parallel Sessions and Panel Discussion - feedback: This session was moderated by Essam Nada, Regional Focal Point North Africa, and Tanveer Arif, GEF CSO Network.

Kakha Bakhtadze presented the outcomes of the session “Implementation of GEF Public Involvement Policy,” which recommended, in particular, updating guidelines for CSOs engagement under GEF-6 and further engaging CSOs in project execution.

Samuel Dotse, Regional Focal Point West Africa, presented the results of discussions of the session “Best Practices for CSO Involvement in GEF Focal Areas and Multi-Stakeholder Engagement” saying it is key to showcasing CSOs’ capacity to undertake project execution, while noting the continuous need for CSO capacity-building.

Alancay Morales Garro, Foro Indigena de Abya Yala, Costa Rica reported on “Partnerships with Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities for Safeguarding the Global Environment” recommending, inter alia, the launch of a tool to better communicate with indigenous peoples and greater support for indigenous advisory groups.

Maximo Cirio, Sustainable Development Society, reported on the session “Women and Youth as key GEF Partners” stressing that plurality must be promoted and that women and youth must be included in key decision-making processes at the GEF.

Discussion of the Draft Communique to be presented to 5th GEF Assembly: Fiu Elisara, Director of Ole Siosiomaga Society (OLSSI), Gunther Mitlacher, WWF Germany, and Maria Leichner, Fundacion ECOS, Uruguay, were co-moderators of this session. Leichner and Elisara outlined a draft document, inviting comments from participants. Participants commented extensively on the draft, which drew on discussions throughout the day and which was organized under four broad themes: implementation of GEF public involvement policy; CSO involvement in GEF focal areas and multi-stakeholder engagement; partnerships with indigenous peoples and local communities; and women and youth as drivers in transformations.

The Forum eventually agreed to convene a small drafting group to summarize the draft Communique as a focused high-level message for the Assembly. The Forum also determined that the draft Communique, reflecting the revisions discussed during the session, would form the basis of a formal report of the day’s proceedings.

Visit the web coverage for Tuesday, 27 May 2014.

Download the daily report for Tuesday, 27 May 2014 in HTML or PDF format.

GEF Council Meeting

The dais during the closing of the meeting

Juha Uitto (center), Finland, was appointed as the new Director of the GEF’s Independent Evaluation Office.

GEF Council members met for the last day of the meeting

CSO Forum

Group photo after the opening ceremony of the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) Forum. L-R: Jorge Legorreta, Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT), Mexico; León Gutiérrez Ferretiz, President of the Regional Consultative Council on Sustainable Development for the South-South East of Mexico; Rodolfo Lacy Tamayo, SEMARNAT; Naoko Ishii, GEF CEO and Chairperson; and Chair Faizal Parish, GEF CSO Network Central Focal Point.

L-R: Lorenzo Rosenzweig, Executive Director, Fondo Mexicano Para la Conservación de la Naturaleza; Chair Faizal Parish, GEF CSO Network Central Focal Point; and Carlos Manuel Rodríguez, Conservation International

CSOs Forum group photo

Highlights for Wednesday, 28 May 2014

The fifth Global Environment Facility (GEF) Assembly opened on 28 May 2014 at the Moon Palace Hotel in Cancún, Mexico. In the morning, delegates were addressed by High-level officials and considered Assembly agenda items. In the afternoon, four roundtables were held on: Financing Green Growth; Role of Legislation in Protecting the Global Environment; Mainstreaming Natural Capital into Decision-Making; and Sustainable and Resilient Cities.

Visit the web coverage for Wednesday, 28 May 2014.

Download the daily report for Wednesday, 28 May 2014 in HTML or PDF format.

L-R: Enrique Peña Nieto, President of Mexico, congratulating Naoko Ishii, GEF CEO

Fernando Aportela, Under-Secretary of Finance of Mexico

Juan José Guerra, Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources of Mexico

Fifth GEF Assembly group photo

Luis Videgaray Caso, Secretary of Finance and Public Credit, Mexico

Enrique Peña Nieto, President of Mexico

Naoko Ishii, GEF CEO

Exhibition

Highlights for Thursday, 29 May 2014

On Thursday morning three roundtables were held on: nexus of energy, water and food security; sustainable commodities; and multilateral agreements (MEAs) and the post-2015 framework. The fifth GEF Assembly closing plenary convened in the afternoon. Delegates heard statements on behalf of constituencies, representatives of the Conventions, heads of the GEF Agencies, and received the Chair’s summary of the 5th GEF Assembly.

Visit the web coverage for Thursday, 29 May 2014.

Download the daily report for Thursday, 29 May 2014 in HTML or PDF format.

Multilateral Environmental Agreements and the Post-2015 Framework: A Forward-Looking Agenda

L-R: William Moomaw, Tufts University, US; Ibrahim Thiaw, Deputy Executive Director, UN Environment Programme (UNEP); Amina Mohammed, UN Special Adviser on Post-2015 Development Planning; Moderator Homi Kharas, Brookings Institution, US; José Antonio Meade, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mexico; Jeffrey Sachs, Earth Institute; and Rajendra Pachauri, Chair, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

Monique Barbut, UNCCD Executive-Secretary

A high level panel convened for a press conference at noon. L-R: Rajendra Pachauri, IPCC Chair; Amina Mohammed, UN Special Adviser on Post-2015 Development Planning; Naoko Ishii, GEF CEO and Chairperson; Jeffrey Sachs, Earth Institute; and Andrew Steer, President and CEO, WRI.

L-R: Fernando Aportela, Under-Secretary of Finance of Mexico; William Ehlers, GEF Secretariat; and Juan José Guerra, Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources of Mexico

The dais at the end of the 5th GEF Assembly

GEF Project Site Visits

On Friday, 30 May 2014, GEF Assembly participants divided into four different groups to spend the day visiting four different sites in the State of Quintana Roo that had benefitted from GEF support, namely: the Isla Contoy National Park; the Yum Balam Protected Area of Wild Flora and Fauna; the Biosphere Reserve of Sian Ka’an; and the Otoch Ma’ax Yetel Kooh Reserve. IISD RS covered the first three visits.

At Contoy Island, a breathtaking small island located around 30 kilometers north of Isla Mujeres that was protected by decree in 1961 and became a National Park in 1998, visitors learned how GEF’s assistance and community participation had helped the Mexican government to successfully implement a management plan to protect the island’s environment and rich natural resources, including over 250 species of fish and more than 150 migrating and resident bird species.

At Yum Balam, a protected area created in 1994 that occupies 150.000 hectares that was also listed in the Ramsar site list in 2004, delegates learned how funding from the GEF Small Grants Programme (SGP), the UN Development Programme and the Ministry of Environment of Mexico, had helped a five-women cooperative to produce beauty products from medicinal plants building on their traditional Mayan knowledge. Delegates learned about two other projects in the region, one on sacred orchids, and another on sea turtle, iguana and crocodile protection launched in 2007 with an SGP grant.

At the Sian Ka’an Biosphere reserve, established in 1986 and listed as both a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a RAMSAR site, participants saw one of Mexico’s five largest protected areas, including mangroves, swamps, forests, large lagoons, coastal zones and coral reefs. They also visited Mayan archeological sites dating from 300 BC and traversed two large lagoons in boats while listening to Mayan history and culture and the various ecosystem services provided by the reserve, including protection for fish hatcheries and habitat for over 100 mammal species and over 300 bird species.