Least Developed Countries

GEF Council members were briefed by representatives from the UN Development Programme (UNDP), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Bank at the beginning of the third and final day of the 50th meeting of the GEF Council. Representatives from the three organizations presented on progress to date on the three Integrated Approach Pilot (IAP) Programs that their organizations are leading: taking deforestation out of the global commodity supply chain, fostering sustainability and resilience for food security in sub-Saharan Africa, and sustainable cities, respectively. The GEF Council also reviewed and approved the GEF Business Plan and Corporate Budget for the fiscal year 2017, the investment strategy review of the GEF Trust Fund, and the Annual Performance Report 2015 and Management Response. Participants then convened for the 20th meeting of the Council for the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF)/Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF) and considered a progress report, Annual Monitoring Review for the fiscal year 2015 and 2015 Annual Evaluation Report of the Funds as well as work programs and budgets for 2017. At the conclusion of the meetings, Council members reviewed and approved the Joint Summary of the Chairs for the GEF Council and LDCF/SCCF meetings. As indicated in the Joint Summary for the GEF Council meeting, the Council approved its Work Program comprising 38 project concepts and four programmatic frameworks, with total resources amounting to US$398.68 million. The programmatic frameworks include a Global Partnership on Wildlife Conservation and Crime Prevention for Sustainable Development and a project on Leapfrogging Markets to High Efficiency Products. As agreed on the first day of the meeting and included in the Joint Summary of the Chairs, the 50th meeting of the GEF Council also established a new trust fund for the Capacity-building Initiative for Transparency (CBIT). At the close of the meeting, GEF CEO and Chairperson Naoko Ishii thanked Council members for their input and a rich discussion, which she said would be useful as the Secretariat plans for the seventh replenishment of the GEF (GEF-7). Ishii closed the meeting at 2:05 pm. IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ Meeting Coverage, has provided daily web coverage from the GEF Council Consultation Meeting with CSOs, 50th GEF Council Meeting and 20th Meeting of the LDCF/SCCF Council. In addition, IISD Reporting Services has also produced a summary video of the event, which is available in HTML and PDF format. Photos by IISD/ENB | Francis Dejon For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. Integrated Approach Pilot Programs (IAP) View of the UNDP presentation on IAP Andrew Bovarnick, UNDP Margarita Astrálaga, International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) Ede Jorge Ijjasz-Vasquez, World Bank Xueman Wang, World Bank Claudia Nordini, Italy Nicola Speranza, Brazil Antoinette Macumi, Burundi Tanyaradzwa Mundoga, Zimbabwe May Gicquel, France Mohamed-Yahya Lafdal, Mauritania Naoko Ishii, GEF CEO and Chairperson Co-Chair Caroline Leclerc, Canada Budget and Investment Strategy Review of the GEF Trust Fund Peter Lallas, GEF Secretariat Praveen Prasad Desabatla, World Bank L-R: Francisco Grahammer, Neeraj Kumar Negi and Juha Uitto, Independent Evaluation Office (IEO) L-R: Jean-Xavier Bourre, Tapiwa Sikipa and Praveen Prasad Desabatla, World Bank Anton Hilber, Switzerland Josceline Wheatley, UK Leonardo Martinez-Diaz, US L-R: Roland Sundstrom, GEF Secretariat; Elwyn Grainger-Jones, GEF Secretariat; Naoko Ishii, GEF CEO and Chairperson; Co-Chair Caroline Leclerc, Canada; and William Ehlers, GEF Secretariat 20th Meeting of the Council of the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF) and Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF) Participants heard a report on the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF). L-R: Saliha Dobardzic, Rawleston Moore and Gustavo Fonseca, GEF Secretariat L-R: Francisco Grahammer, Anna Viggh and Juha Uitto, IEO Merete Villum Pedersen, Denmark Jozef Buys, Belgium Rachna Ramsurn, Mauritius Comlan Awougnon, Togo Anders Wallberg, Sweden Kees Rade, the Netherlands Naoko Ishii, GEF CEO and Chairperson, closed the GEF50 meeting at 2:05 pm.