Summary
The second day of the 52nd meeting of the GEF Council, Wednesday, 24 May, began with a briefing by Rosina Bierbaum, Chair, Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel (STAP). Bierbaum highlighted good practices in integrated approach pilots (IAPs) and improvements in project identification forms in multi-focal areas. She identified opportunities for the GEF to promote innovation, including through financial products, technology, business models, market transformation and policies. Among emerging challenges, Bierbaum stressed: sustainable consumption and production for food systems and plastics; environmental security; and “novel entities,” such as nanomaterials, synthetic biology and new chemicals. In the ensuing discussion, Council members, inter alia, highlighted overlaps between STAP and the Independent Evaluation Office (IEO), and asked STAP for inclusion of sand and dust storms as an emerging issue.
During the morning session, the Council also considered the Semi-Annual Evaluation Report May 2017, which summarizes key conclusions from nine evaluations, including on programmatic approaches, focal areas, gender mainstreaming and transformational change, completed between October 2016 and May 2017.
In the afternoon, the Council discussed Relations with the Conventions and other International Institutions, with presentations by the Executive Secretaries from the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), as well as the Principal Coordinator of the Interim Secretariat of the Minamata Convention on Mercury. Many Council members underscored synergies and complementarity among the GEF Conventions.
The Council concluded the day with a discussion on tackling global environmental challenges through IAPs.
IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ Meeting Coverage, has provided daily web coverage from the GEF Council Consultation Meeting with CSOs. In addition, IISD Reporting Services, has produced a summary report from the 52nd GEF Council Meeting and 22nd Meeting of the LDCF/SCCF Council, which is abailable in HTML and PDF.
Photos by IISD/ENB | Leila Mead
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A view of the room during the presentation of the report of the STAP Chair
STAP Chair Rosina Bierbaum and Naoko Ishii, GEF CEO and Chairperson
STAP Chair Rosina Bierbaum
STAP members during the presentation of the report of the STAP Chair
Ralph Sims, STAP member (left)
Rosina Bierbaum, STAP Chair, noting its adaptation to the environment and innovative targeted approach, proposes pistol shrimp (Alpheidae) as a mascot for the GEF.
Council member Merete Villum Pedersen, Denmark
Council member Majid Bizmark, Iran
Francoise Clottes, GEF Secretariat, Geeta Batra, IEO, and Juha Ilari Uitto, Director, IEO, during the presentation of the Semi-Annual Evaluation Report and management response
Kees Rade, Council member, the Netherlands
Francoise Clottes, GEF Secretariat
Council member Judith Gelbman, Canada
Council member Zhongjing Wang, China
GEF CEO and Chairperson Naoko Ishii
Philipp Knill, Council Co-Chair, and Council member Peter Elder, Australia
Naoko Ishii, GEF CEO and Chairperson
Cristiana Pașca Palmer, Executive Secretary, CBD, addresses the Council during a session on Relations with the Conventions and other International Institutions
Cristiana Paşca Palmer, Executive Secretary, CBD
Jacob Duer, Principal Coordinator, Interim Secretariat of the Minamata Convention
Monique Barbut, Executive Secretary, UNCCD
Rolph Payet, Executive Secretary, Stockholm Convention on POPs
Council Member May Gicquel, France
Council member Jozef Buys, Belgium
Council Member Stefan Marco Schwager, Switzerland
A view of the room during the session on Tackling Global Environmental Challenges through the IAP Programs and the presentation of Ede Jorge Ijjasz-Vasquez, World Bank, who discussed the Global Platform for Sustainable Cities
Ede Jorge Ijjasz-Vasquez, World Bank
Xueman Wang, World Bank
Andrew Bovarnick, UN Development Programme
Margarita Astralaga, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
A view of the dais during the presentation of Margarita Astralaga, IFAD
Gustavo Fonseca, GEF Secretariat, and Gilbert Bankobeza, Ozone Secretariat
Naoko Ishii, GEF CEO and Chairperson, and Gilbert Bankobeza, Ozone Secretariat
Delegates from the US and UK consulting
Melchiade Bukuru, UNCCD (center)
Council member Marita Olson, Sweden (center)
Delegates taking a selfie
