71st GEF Council Meeting

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Civil society organizations (CSOs) play a key role not only in delivering environmental outcomes on the ground, but also on strengthening accountability, bridging the gap between policy and vulnerable communities, and ensuring that Global Environment Facility (GEF) investments reach communities most affected by environmental degradation and climate risks.

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The Civil Society Forum, one of the premier events of the GEF Assembly, met in the afternoon, bringing together CSOs, Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPLCs), GEF members, Implementing Agencies, and other stakeholders to exchange experiences, elevate community perspectives, and strengthen participation in global environmental governance.

Opening the Forum’s discussions, Claude Gascon, Interim GEF CEO and Chairperson, stressed that “civil society is at the heart of the fight for our planet’s future, essential to halting environmental degradation and achieving sustainable development.” He highlighted that a whole-of-society approach was central to the ninth replenishment of the GEF Trust Fund (GEF-9) negotiations.

Aziz Abdukhakimov, Advisor to the President of Uzbekistan on Environment and Chairman, National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change, noted that CSOs are becoming important platforms for public participation and require better access to data and involvement in the decision-making process.

Stressing that “we have mistreated Mother Earth for hundreds of years,” Faizal Parish, Chair, CSO Network, underscored our collective responsibility to change business-as-usual practices in project design and implementation by fully engaging CSOs.

Giovanni Reyes, Chair, Indigenous Peoples Advisory Group (IPAG), stressed that Indigenous Peoples must take the lead in decision making when it comes to biodiversity and called for civil society and non-state actors to join in redoubling efforts toward biodiversity conservation as we near 2030.

CSO Network Vice-Chair Sagar Aryal presented findings from the Network’s series of “Whole-of-Society Talks” held over the last year, including that: a whole-of-society approach is imperative; scaling up the successes of the Small Grants Program and the Inclusive Conservation Initiative is needed; access to financing and knowledge on how to use it remains uneven; and that the declining trend of civil society-led GEF projects must be reversed.

The Forum also included two interactive panel discussions, accompanied by two “show and tell” sessions on: scaling community-led initiatives; and finance, governance, and accountability,

In concluding remarks, Adriana Gonçalves Moreira, Head of Partnerships, GEF Secretariat, said the target of at least 20% support for IPLCs in GEF-9 resulted from continuing dialogue with the CSO Network and IPAG, saying it is only the start toward building a more inclusive GEF.

Parish noted that “the only way forward is collaboration,” stressing the GEF must progress further toward viewing civil society as not just beneficiaries, but as actors, rights holders, and partners.

The Civil Society Forum was organized in collaboration with the CSO Network, IPAG, and the women and youth caucuses to the conventions that the GEF serves.

In the morning, the Council of the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF) concluded its sixth session with members:

• welcoming the recommendations of the GBFF Auxiliary Body on options to facilitate the achievement of the portfolio target related to international financial institutions;
• taking note of the recommendations from the Second Formative Evaluation of the GBFF and endorsing the management response; and
• approving the budget for the Independent Evaluation Office to implement the Work Program on the GBFF for 2027.

Members also approved the Co-Chairs’ joint summary of the: 71st meeting of the GEF Trust Fund Council; the 40th meeting of the Council of the Least Developed Countries Fund and the Special Climate Change Fund; and the sixth meeting of the GBFF Council.

In closing remarks to the Council, Gascon thanked members, the Secretariat, and the Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel for their instrumental guidance and sense of cooperation, and extended heartfelt thanks to those stepping down. Co-Chair Richard Bontjer (Australia) emphasized the Council’s unique role in addressing global environmental challenges.

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The vulnerabilities arising from systemic socio-economic development constraints, climate change, and biodiversity loss were at the center of deliberations by three Councils of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) on Tuesday. Meeting to review progress and decide on future work for a host of funds that endeavor to support those facing these vulnerabilities, members ploughed through dense agendas.

Want to dig deeper into today's talks? Read the full Earth Negotiations Bulletin daily report.

The 40th Council meetings of the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF) and the Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF) dominated discussions in the morning, following the conclusion of the 71st meeting of the GEF Council. The Council of the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF) initiated its sixth meeting in the afternoon.

The GEF Council addressed all remaining items on its agenda, deciding to:

• invite a round of comments by members on a draft memorandum of understanding between the GEF Council and the Conference of the Parties to the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity in Areas beyond National Jurisdiction;
• set the dates and format of the 72nd, 73rd, and 74th Council meetings; 
• extend the tenure of Richard Bontjer (Australia) as Co-Chair until the 72nd meeting; and
• appoint Edward Carr as interim Chair of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel (STAP) for one year and extend the current panel membership for the interim period.

Opening the deliberations of the 40th LDCF/SCCF Council meeting, Claude Gascon, Interim GEF CEO and Chairperson, stressed that the funds deliver adaptation support where climate impact is most severe and the need for practical action greatest.

Council Co-Chair Bontjer noted the adaptation strategy reflects an inclusive process with “an evolutionary and practical result that does not reinvent the wheel, but builds on what it does well.” He welcomed the aspirational target of directing 20% of resources to actions that support Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPLCs).

Evans Njewa, on behalf of the LDC Group, said the Work Program demonstrates a collective agreement to support vulnerable communities. He stressed that further efforts are needed to close the finance gap.

The LDCF/SCCF Council, among other things:

• endorsed the GEF Programming Strategy on Adaptation to Climate Change as a basis for programming resources under the LDCF and SCCF from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2030;
• approved the Work Program for both funds;
• approved the proposed budget for the GEF Secretariat, STAP, and the Trustee for 2027; 
• took note of the Annual Evaluation Report 2026 and endorsed the management response; and
• approved the budget for the GEF Independent Evaluation Office under the LDCF and the SCCF to carry out their Work Program for 2027.

Opening the sixth meeting of the GBFF Council, Co-Chair Gascon highlighted that the Fund has received over USD 386 million in contributions since its launch in August 2023. He mentioned an expanded, diverse contributor base, including the GEF’s first non-sovereign donor.

“The GBFF has evolved from an experiment in building something genuinely different into a ground-breaking, idea-challenging, and engagement-driving example of how to drive progress,” stressed Co-Chair Bontjer, reflecting on the Fund’s three-year track-record of setting the scene for engaging IPLCs and improving resource mobilization and access for those most affected by biodiversity loss.

Asad Naqvi, Convention on Biological Diversity Secretariat, added that “decisions on biodiversity finance taken today will determine whether future risks to economies are mitigated or amplified.”

The GBFF Council approved: the Work Program; the business plan and budget for the Secretariat, STAP, and the Trustee for 2027; and the Resource Mobilization Strategy for the GBFF 2026-2030. Members also welcomed the report and took note of progress made in the operations of the GBFF.

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“The Global Environment Facility (GEF) is best placed to create synergies between multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) and conventions. These are needed now more than ever to achieve our objectives: the challenges are interconnected and the global financial landscape does not allow a siloed approach.”

These words, spoken by Asad Naqvi, Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), were echoed by all in a high-level panel on cooperation with MEAs, and reflected a critical issue under deliberation on the second day of the 71st meeting of the GEF Council. Cooperation and synergies, alongside issues around evaluation, had the lion’s share of the day’s discussions.

Want to dig deeper into today's talks? Read the full Earth Negotiations Bulletin daily report.

Deliberations on GEF relations with conventions and international institutions brought together the Executive Secretaries of the Minamata Convention on Mercury and the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm (BRS) Conventions, as well as high-level representatives of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the CBD, and the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). They highlighted collaboration and integration, underscoring the value of the latter at the scientific, functional, finance, and implementation levels.

They also called for a systemic shift in economic and finance systems, and for simplified processes and accessible funds to drive implementation. They highlighted ongoing synergistic efforts among the Rio Conventions with GEF support and, looking ahead, underscored the need to scale up partnerships with the private sector, including through non-grant instruments.

Many Council members requested strengthening the GEF’s unique role in promoting synergies among conventions, toward producing concrete results.

On evaluation, discussions focused on the Work Program and budget of the GEF Independent Evaluation Office (IEO) for 2027 as well as the new, refined GEF Evaluation Policy 2026. Council members approved the IEO Work Program and budget, emphasizing the value of the IEO’s work and role in strengthening the GEF’s credibility. They also welcomed the timely development of the refined Evaluation Policy, reflecting the evolution of the GEF Partnership and broader changes in international evaluation practices.

In the afternoon, Council members focused on IEO evaluations of: the GEF Sustainable Cities Program; GEF support to marginalized groups; and GEF support for policy coherence, as well as related management responses. The Council took note of the evaluation recommendations and endorsed the management responses.

Council members also tackled a draft memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the GEF Council and the Conference of the Parties to the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement). Members could not reach consensus. Some suggested endorsing the draft MoU to avoid derailing the delicate balance achieved in BBNJ negotiations, while others preferred inviting comments with a view to developing a revised MoU for further consideration. Discussions will continue in an informal group.

Concluding the day’s deliberations, members resumed discussions on the agency expansion procedure and adopted a revised draft decision.

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“The triple planetary crisis is increasingly visible and the role of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) is more important than ever.” The opening remarks of Aziz Abdukhakimov, Advisor to the President of Uzbekistan on Environment and Chairman of the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change, set the stage for the opening day of the 71st GEF Council meeting.

Want to dig deeper into today's talks? Read the full Earth Negotiations Bulletin daily report.

Introducing the agenda and the focus of work, Claude Gascon, Interim CEO and Chairperson of the GEF, highlighted accomplishments under the eighth replenishment of the GEF Trust Fund (GEF-8), including: high-impact investments and blended finance; integration with 98 countries participating; and advanced knowledge sharing and learning, gender equality, and Indigenous Peoples’ participation.

GEF Council Co-Chair Richard Bontjer (Australia) stressed the importance of providing solutions amid geopolitical tensions and accelerating environmental and climate crises, highlighting a proposal to add up to three new Implementing Agencies to address identified gaps in programming for the private sector and Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPLCs).

Across a full day of deliberations, Council members and participants focused on:

• the summary of negotiations of GEF-9; 
• the Work Program for the GEF Trust Fund; 
• the GEF business plan and corporate budget for 2027; 
• strengthening the GEF Partnership through the agency expansion procedure; 
• the GEF-9 System for Transparent Allocation of Resources (STAR) policy; 
• the GEF-9 Integrated Programs Lead Agency terms of reference (ToR) and selection process; and 
• the report of the Chairperson of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel (STAP). 

Council members took note of the summary of GEF-9 negotiations and endorsed the programming directions, including allocations of resources and policy recommendations. They approved the Work Program; the GEF-9 Integrated Programs Lead Agency ToR and selection process; and, following consultations to address travel-related costs, the GEF business plan and budget for 2027.

Members expressed strong appreciation for the work of the STAP, welcoming the report of the STAP Chairperson and making suggestions for further improvement. They expressed broad support for key proposed modifications to the STAR policy. Following consultations and the circulation of a revised document, the Council approved the modified STAR policy, which replaces and supersedes all relevant previous Council decisions regarding STAR.

Informal deliberations are underway to finalize the decision on strengthening the GEF Partnership through the agency expansion procedure.

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