59th GEF Council Meeting, GEF Council Consultation Meeting with CSOs, and 29th LDCF/SCCF Council Meeting
4 and 7-11 December 2020 | Online
The 59th Meeting of the GEF Council scheduled to take place from 7-11 December 2020 will be held virtually in line with the continued health and safety measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This five-day meeting, the second to be held virtually, will follow a full agenda, unlike the 58th Council meeting, which was cut to two days, on a slimmed agenda. The planned GEF consultation with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) from the previous meeting was postponed to the current meeting.
The Council, which is the GEF's main governing body, comprises 32 Members appointed by constituencies of GEF member countries (14 from developed countries, 16 from developing countries, and two from economies in transition). Council Members rotate every three years or until the constituency appoints a new Member. The Council meets twice a year to develop, adopt, and evaluate the operational policies and programs for GEF-financed activities. The Council also reviews and approves the work program (projects submitted for approval), making decisions by consensus.
The 59th meeting of the GEF Council will be presided over by the new GEF Chairperson and CEO, Carlos Manuel Rodríguez (Costa Rica), who was appointed at the 58th meeting to lead the GEF for the coming four years. The Council will hear, among other reports, the report of the Chair of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel, the report of the Working Group on Governance, the report of the Selection and Review Committee, and the report on GEF Agencies’ compliance with the GEF’s Minimum Fiduciary Standards.
The Council will also consider the evaluation of GEF engagement in fragile and conflict-affected situations, and evaluations of: GEF interventions in artisanal and small-scale gold mining sector; the role of medium-size projects in GEF Partnership knowledge management; and knowledge management in the GEF.
Other items to be considered by the 59th GEF Council meeting include:
- The Eighth Replenishment of the GEF Trust Fund;
- The GEF’s Private Sector Engagement Strategy;
- The Work Program for GEF Trust Fund;
- The GEF Evaluation Policy 2019;
- Update on the Nagoya Protocol Implementation Fund;
- COVID-19-related operational issues and application of the Cancellation Policy; and
- Relations with the Conventions and Other International Institutions.
The 59th meeting of the GEF Council will take place virtually, from 7-11 December 2020. Delegates will also convene as the 29th meeting of the Council for the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF) and Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF) on 10 December to discuss programmatic, budgetary, and other issues. The Council meeting will be preceded by a consultation with CSOs on the topic, “The Application of Traditional Knowledge by Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities, Stewards of the Global Environment,” on Friday, 4 December 2020.
IISD, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin Meeting Coverage, will provide daily digital coverage and a summary report from this event. Kindly return to this page on Friday, 4 December 2020, for coverage of GEF Consultations with CSOs.
GEF Resources
- Website for the 59th GEF Council Meeting
- Documents for the 59th GEF Council Meeting
- Agenda for the 59th GEF Council Meeting
- Documents for the 29th Meeting of the Council for the LDCF and SCCF
- Provisional Agenda for the 29th Meeting of the Council for the LDCF and SCCF
- Website for the GEF Consultations with Civil Society on Traditional Knowledge
IISD/ENB Meeting Coverage
- 58th Meeting of the GEF Council and 27th Meeting of the LDCF/SCCF Council, 2-3 June 2020, Online
- 57th GEF Council Meeting, GEF Council Consultation Meeting with CSOs, and 27th Meeting of the LDCF/SCCF Council, 16-19 December 2019, Washington, DC, US
- GEF Council Consultation Meeting with CSOs, 56th GEF Council Meeting, and 26th Meeting of the LDCF/SCCF Council, 10-13 June 2019, Washington, DC, US
- Video Coverage at the 56th GEF Council Meeting
- GEF Council Consultation Meeting with CSOs, 55th GEF Council Meeting, and 25th Meeting of the LDCF/SCCF Council, 17-20 December 2018, Washington, DC, US
- Video Coverage at the 55th GEF Council Meeting
- 54th GEF Council Meeting, 24th Meeting of the LDCF/SCCF Council, CSO Forum, and 6th Meeting of the GEF Assembly,, 24-29 June 2018, Da Nang, Viet Nam
- Video Coverage at the 54th GEF Council Meeting and 6th GEF Assembly
- GEF Council Consultation Meeting with CSOs, 53rd GEF Council Meeting, and 23rd Meeting of the LDCF/SCCF Council, 27-30 November 2017, Washington, DC, US
- GEF Council Consultation Meeting with CSOs, 52nd GEF Council Meeting, and 22nd Meeting of the LDCF/SCCF Council, 22-25 May 2017, Washington, DC, US
- GEF Council Consultation Meeting with CSOs, 51st GEF Council Meeting, and 21st Meeting of the LDCF/SCCF Council, 24-27 October 2016, Washington, DC, US
- GEF Council Consultation Meeting with CSOs, 50th GEF Council Meeting, and 20th Meeting of the LDCF/SCCF Council, 6-9 June 2015, Washington, DC, US
- Video Coverage at the 50th GEF Council Meeting
- GEF Council Consultation Meeting with CSOs, 49th GEF Council Meeting, and 19th Meeting of the LDCF/SCCF Council, 19-22 October 2015, Washington, DC, US
- GEF Council Consultation Meeting with CSOs, 48th GEF Council Meeting, and 18th Meeting of the LDCF/SCCF Council, 1-4 June 2015, Washington, DC, US
- GEF Council Consultation Meeting with CSOs, 47th GEF Council Meeting, and 17th Meeting of the LDCF/SCCF Council, 27-30 October 2014, Washington, DC, US
- GEF Council Consultation Meeting with CSOs, 46th GEF Council Meeting, 16th Meeting of the LDCF/SCCF Council, and 5th Meeting of the GEF Assembly, 25-30 May 2014, Cancún, Mexico
- GEF Council Consultation Meeting with CSOs, 45th GEF Council Meeting, and 15th Meeting of the LDCF/SCCF Council, 4-7 November 2013, Washington, DC, US
- GEF Council Consultation Meeting with CSOs, 44th GEF Council Meeting, and 14th Meeting of the LDCF/SCCF Council, 17-20 June 2013, Washington, DC, US
- GEF Council Consultation Meeting with CSOs, 43rd GEF Council Meeting, and 13th Meeting of the LDCF/SCCF Council, 13-15 November 2012, Washington, DC, US
- GEF Council Consultation Meeting with CSOs, 42nd GEF Council Meeting, and 12th Meeting of the LDCF/SCCF Council, 5-7 June 2012, Washington, DC, US
- GEF Council Consultation Meeting with CSOs, 41st GEF Council Meeting, and 11th Meeting of the LDCF/SCCF Council, 7-10 November 2011, Washington, DC, US
- GEF Council Consultation Meeting with CSOs, 40th GEF Council Meeting, and 10th Meeting of the LDCF/SCCF Council, 24-26 May 2011, Washington, DC, US
- 4th Meeting of the GEF Assembly, 24-28 May 2010, Punta del Este, Uruguay
IISD Resources
- Subscription Page for ENB Update, SDG Update, and Peer-to-Peer Community Mailing Lists (including SDG News, Climate News, Biodiversity News, Ocean News, Trade and Sustainable Development News, and Regional Updates)
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