The fourth Assembly of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) opens tomorrow in Punta del Este, Uruguay, and will continue until Wednesday, 26 May 2010. Held every four years, the GEF Assembly gathers stakeholders from GEF member States to review the policies and operations of the Facility. Over 1,000 participants are expected to attend the Assembly, representing member states, UN agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), academia and the private sector.

Prior to the Assembly, a Civil Society Forum was held on Monday 24 May, featuring a series of panels on: the role of civil society in safeguarding the global environment; local and indigenous communities as guardians of the environment; Latin American experiences with GEF projects; and enhancing partnership with civil society in the Fifth GEF Replenishment (GEF–5). The GEF Council also met in a closed meeting during the morning and endorsed the results of the Fifth GEF Replenishment.