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.
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.
Event Recording
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