Least Developed Countries

On Wednesday, 29 November 2017, the GEF Council considered the proposed November 2017 Work Program, which includes: 83 full-sized projects; one programmatic approach; 101 recipient countries; 38 least developed countries (LDCs) and 28 Small Island Developing States (SIDS); and US$2.6 billion in co-financing. The GEF Secretariat reported that 76% of total original GEF-6 resources, 94% of revised GEF-6 resources, 92% of LDCs/SIDS allocations, and 82% of STAR Adjusted allocations for all other countries have been programmed. During discussion, Council members supported elements of the Work Program and commended the Secretariat’s efforts in balancing geographical and focal area distribution of the projects. Noting that three of 18 entities, namely, the UN Development Programme (UNDP), UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and World Bank, were allocated over 60% of programming, many Council members called for balanced inclusion of all Accredited Entities. Council members also discussed the level of private sector co-financing, enhancing cooperation with multilateral development banks (MDBs), and increasing investment in the work of the GEF. At the conclusion of the discussion, the Council approved the Work Program, subject to the comments made during the Council meeting and pending further submissions by Constituencies. Additional agenda items discussed on the second day of the three-day Council meeting included: Rationale and Plan to Review GEF's Fiduciary Standards; Updated Policy on Ethics and Conflict of Interest for Council Members, Alternates, and Advisers; Relations with the Conventions and Other International Institutions; Non-Grant Instruments: Experience of the GEF Partnership; Plan to Review GEF’s Social and Environmental Safeguards; and the CEO Report on the Status of GEF-7 Replenishment. The GEF Council also held a dialogue with the heads of the Secretariats of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and the Minamata Convention on Mercury.​ IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ Meeting Coverage, has provided daily web coverage and a summary report from the GEF Council Consultation Meeting with CSOs, the 53rd GEF Council Meeting, and the 23rd Meeting of the LDCF/SCCF Council. The summary report is now available in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Leila Mead For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Council member Paul Ralison, Madagascar Council member Mitchell Silk, US Alternate Council member Carola van Rijnsoever, Netherlands Council member Abdul Bakarr Salim, Sierra Leone Participants during the session Council member Zhongjing Wang, China Alternate Council member Carola van Rijnsoever, Netherlands, Council member Nuritdin Inamov, Russian Federation, and Council member Esther Sanz Gonzalez, Spain Gustavo Fonseca, GEF Secretariat, presents the GEF Work Program Alternate Council member Mapa Patharina M.P.D.U.K., Sri Lanka Alternate Council member Francois-Xavier Duporge, France Council member Peter Elder, Australia, and Council Co-Chair Jane Chigiyal, Federated States of Micronesia Council members Jozef Buys, Belgium Council member Marita Olson, Sweden Council member Aparna Subramani, India   Robert Bisset and Patrizia Cocca, GEF Secretariat Council member Marcia Levaggi, Argentina Jacob Duer, Principal Coordinator of the Interim Secretariat of the Minimata Convention Rolph Payet, Executive Secretary of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm (BRS) Conventions View of the dais during the discussions Melchiade Bukuru, Chief of UN Convention to Combat Desertification (CCD) Liaison Office Amy Fraenkel, Director, Mainstreaming, Cooperation and Outreach Division, Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Secretariat A view of the dais during the discussion on non-grant instruments David Rodgers, GEF Secretariat (left) Kenneth Lay, former Vice-President of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development Lisa Pharoah, Rare Ryan Alexander, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Andrey Shlyakhtenko, International Finance Corporation (IFC) (center)

The Fiji / Bonn Climate Change Conference continued on Thursday. In the morning, the closing plenaries of Conference of the Parties (COP) and Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP) began, and then suspended to allow more time for consultations. Throughout the afternoon, delegates met in bilateral, group, and heads of delegation consultations to discuss the Talanoa Dialogue, Adaptation Fund, and a proposal regarding modalities for Paris Agreement Article 9.5 (ex ante finance transparency), among other issues. These consultations were continuing at 7:30 pm. ** 1:00 am - The APA has yet to reconvene. Consultations continue. ** 1:05 am - The CMP resumes its closing plenary. ** 1:14 am - CMP adjourned. COP opened. ** 1:39 am - COP adjourned. ** 2:10 am - The APA plenary resumes. ** 2:37 am - The APA suspends its session. The COP will resume shortly. ** 4:32 am - The CMP resumes. ** 4:36 am - The CMP adjourned. COP opened. ** 5:08 am - The COP adjourned. CMA opened. ** 5:11 am - CMA adjourns. A joint COP/CMP/CMA plenary opens to hear closing statements. ** 6:56 am - COP 23 gaveled to a close. IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, has providing daily web coverage, daily reports, and a summary and analysis report from the Fiji / Bonn Climate Change Conference 2017. The summary and analysis report is now available in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Kiara Worth For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. APA Closing Plenary View of the dais during the APA closing plenary APA Co-Chairs Jo Tyndall, New Zealand, and Sarah Baashan, Saudi Arabia Gebru Jember, Ethiopia, speaking on behalf of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) Walter Schuldt Espinel, Ecuador, speaking on behalf of the G-77/China Meelis Münt, EU Franz Perrez, Switzerland, speaking on behalf of the Environmental Integrity Group (EIG) Isabel Di Carlo Quero, Venezuela, speaking on behalf of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA) Mohamed Nasr, Egypt Patrick Suckling, Australia, on behalf of the Umbrella Group Resumed COP and CMP Closing Plenary View of the dais during the closing plenary Frank Bainimarama, COP 23/CMP 13/CMA 1-2 President Mehmet Emin Birpınar, Turkey Jochen Flasbarth, Germany Jan Szyszko, Minister of Environment, Poland, and incoming COP 24/ CMP 14/ CMA1-3 Julia Wolf, Food and Agricultural Organization of the UN (FAO) Delegates huddle in the early hours of the morning Observers watch delegates huddle from the gallery Informal Consultations throughout the Day Members of developed countries huddle to discuss Paris Agreement Article 9.5 and other remaining matters Members of the G-77/China huddle to discuss issues related to the Adaptation Fund Delegates huddle to discuss new draft text Delegates gather for informal negotiations as the room is filled to capacity COP/CMP Closing Plenaries - Part 1 View of the dais during the joint closing plenaries Frank Bainimarama, COP 23/CMP 13/CMA 1-2 President Nazhat Shameem Khan, COP 23/CMP 13/CMA 1-2 Presidency Marcela Main Sancha, Secretary to the COP/CMP SBI Chair Tomasz Chruszczow, Poland, and SBSTA Chair Carlos Fuller, Belize APA Co-Chairs Jo Tyndall, New Zealand, and Sarah Baashan, Saudi Arabia Delegates during the plenary Civil Society Actions In a demonstration outside the venue, members of civil society call on governments to transform energy systems, keep global temperatures below 1.5C, and ensure climate justice for affected people The Eiffel Tower wanders through the venue to remind delegates of the Paris goals Around the Venue German police outside the venue APA Co-Chairs Jo Tyndall, New Zealand, and Sarah Baashan, Saudi Arabia, speak with Walter Schuldt Espinel, Ecuador Laurence Pollier and Vanessa Matarazzi, UNFCCC Secretariat; SBI Chair Tomasz Chruszczow, Poland; and Katia Simonova, UNFCCC Secretariat Kuni Shimada, Japan Halldór Thorgeirsson, Director for Strategy, UNFCCC Secretariat, speaks with Inia Seruiratu, Minister of Agriculture, Rural and Maritime Development, and National Disaster Management, and High-Level Climate Champion, Fiji UN Security around the venue Delegates from the Comoros Delegates from Egypt Delegates from Austria Delegates from Suriname Bernarditas Muller, the Philippines Delegates from the Emirates Diplomatic Academy, UAE The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) team covering COP 23: Kiara Worth, South Africa; Mari Luomi, Finland/UAE; Dina Hestad, Norway/UK; Annelies van Gaalen, South Africa; Jen Allan; Canada; Katie Browne, US; and Aaron Cosbey, Canada