The 54th Meeting of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Council will take place from 24-26 June 2018, immediately prior to the 6th GEF Assembly. The Council meets twice annually, while the GEF Assembly meets every four years, and on this occasion from 27-28 June 2018. A Civil Society Organization Forum will be held on 26 June.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) is an implementing agency of the GEF, which acts as the international co-financing mechanism that provides grants to countries to invest in global environmental projects addressing the critical nexus between agriculture and the environment. This includes climate change, biodiversity, land degradation, international waters and chemicals. The FAO’s GEF Coordination Unit, which manages the FAO-GEF portfolio, is housed at the FAO Investment Centre. The Centre has helped with the design and implementation of over 2,000 investment operations across 170 countries, valued at more than US$ 116 billion.

During the 54th GEF Council meeting, FAO will host and co-host several side events, sharing with meeting participants experiences from some of these initiatives. On Sunday 24 June, FAO will host a side event on monitoring and maximizing global environmental benefits of drylands, and, together with the UN Development Programme, Conservation International and UN Environment, on strengthening national capacities to enhanced transparency requirements as part of the Capacity-Building Initiative for Transparency (CBIT). On Monday 25 June, FAO will host a side event on biodiversity mainstreaming and ecosystem services across agricultural sectors, and, with UN Environment, on multi-stakeholder collaboration for inclusive rice landscapes. Side events on achievements in the Common Oceans or Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction Program, the Blue Growth, and the Forest and Landscape Restoration Mechanism, among others, will be hosted by FAO, UN Environment, the World Bank and IUCN on Tuesday 26 June.