Highlights and images for 28 June 2018

Viet Nam

Summary

Highlights for Thursday, 28 June 2018

GEF Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chairperson Naoko Ishii congratulating Trần Hồng Hà, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Viet Nam, on the close of the sixth GEF Assembly

The sixth Assembly of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) convened for its last day on Thursday, 28 June 2018, in Da Nang, Viet Nam.In the morning, participants convened in seven parallel roundtable discussions on: sustainable forest management; preventing a toxic legacy: transforming the chemicals industry; wildlife; gender and the environment; innovation in clean energy; conservation finance; and sustainable drylands.In the afternoon, an interactive panel discussion moderated by Jan Piotrowski, Environment Correspondent, The Economist, reported back from the high-level roundtable dialogues. On ways to deliver transformational change to safeguard the global commons, panelists suggested, inter alia: communicating effectively; delivering quantified data on environmental externalities to enable better investment decisions by governments; and creating a diverse platform with actors from different stakeholder groups that empowers these to push forward transformations.Participants then heard a keynote address from the President of Guyana David Granger, in which he called for enhanced financial and technical assistance, and capacity building as part of a grand global transformative agenda to address environmental challenges.In a message from civil society, Priscilla Achakpa, Women Environmental Programme, Nigeria, highlighted recommendations to the GEF Secretariat and the wider Partnership from 538 CSOs in the wider GEF-CSO network, including on the need to recognize that partnerships between the GEF and the civil society are key to achieve transformational change.The Assembly took note of the:

  • Report on the GEF-7 Replenishment;
  • Sixth Overall Performance Study of the GEF; and
  • Report of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel.
  • The Report on the GEF-7 Replenishment included a summary of negotiations, programming directions and resource allocation, and policy recommendations for GEF-7, along with a draft GEF-7 replenishment resolution for approval by the World Bank Executive Directors.Expressing gratitude to the Government of Viet Nam, the city of Da Nang, the GEF Secretariat, volunteers and participants for their contributions to the Assembly, GEF CEO and Chairperson Naoko Ishii reiterated her belief that the GEF can play an extremely useful role in catalyzing the change needed to address environmental challenges.GEF Assembly Chair Trần Hồng Hà, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Viet Nam, noted that he had been inspired by the Assembly’s commitment to addressing the pressing issues related to marine plastics, biodiversity loss, and the blue economy, and closed the meeting at 4:33 pm.On Friday, 29 June 2018, participants visited GEF-funded projects in and around Da Nang.

    IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ Meeting Coverage, is providing daily photo and video coverage, and will produce a summary report from the GEF Council Consultation Meeting with CSOs, 54th GEF Council Meeting, 24th Meeting of the LDCF/SCCF Council, and 6th GEF Assembly.

    Photos by IISD/ENB | Sean Wu


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    High-Level Round Tables
    Roundtable discussions on 'sustainable landscapes in the Amazon and Congo Basin'
    Avecita Chicchón, Program Director, Andes-Amazon, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation
    Roundtable discussions on 'preventing a toxic legacy:
    transforming the chemicals industry'
    Rolph Payet, Executive Secretary, Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions
    Gertrud Sahler, Director-General, Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Germany
    Baskut Tuncak, UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and hazardous substances
    Izabella Teixeira, Co-Chair, International Resource Panel
    Roundtable discussions on 'wildlife'
    Judy Garber, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Department of State, US
    Kaddu K. Sebunya, President, African Wildlife Foundation
    Roundtable discussions on 'gender and the environment'
    Fiame Naomi Mata’afa, Deputy Prime Minister, Samoa
    Maria-Helena Semedo, Deputy Director-General for Natural Resources, Food and Agricultural Organization of the UN
    Roundtable discussions on 'conservation finance'
    Kruskaia Sierra-Escalante, Manager, Blended Finance and Partnerships, International Finance Corporation
    Lorenzo Bernasconi, Senior Associate Director, The Rockefeller Foundation
    Bey Soo Khiang, APRIL Chairman and RGE Vice Chairman
    Roundtable discussions on ‘innovation in clean energy’
    Josué Tanaka, Managing Director, Energy Efficiency and Climate Change Department, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
    Mark Lister, Acting Head of Programme, Copenhagen Centre on Energy Efficiency
    Sarquis J. B. Sarquis, Vice President and Chief Risk Officer, New Development Bank
    Kevin Braithwaite, Vice President of Global Programs, Cleantech Open
    Atchara Poomee, Founder and Managing Director, PAC Corporation, Thailand
    Roundtable discussions on 'sustainable drylands'
    Joy Tukahirwa, Uganda Landcare Network
    Paula Coelho, Minister of Environment, Angola
    Closing Plenary Sessions
    GEF CEO and Chairperson Naoko Ishii giving a speech at the closing plenary of the sixth GEF Assembly
    The panel during the roundtable wrap-up session
    Jan Piotrowski, Environment Correspondent, The Economist
    Gale Rigobert, Minister of Education, Innovation, Gender Relations and Sustainable Development, Saint Lucia
    Paticipants during the closing plenary
    H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma, Burkina Faso
    Kristian Teleki, Director, Sustainable Ocean Initiative, World Resources Institute (WRI)
    GEF Secretariat
    Closing Ceremony
    President David Granger, Guyana
    Chair Trần Hồng Hà, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Viet Nam
    Participants applaud the close of the sixth GEF Assembly
    Site Visit
    Around the Venue
    IISD RS Team (L-R) Mari Luomi, Dina Hestad, Tallash Kantai, Sean Wu, Chen Qian, and H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma, Burkina Faso