Mexico will host the 5th Assembly of the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) in Cancún, Quintana Roo, from May 25th to 30th, 2014 as stated in a Memorandum of Understanding signed today by Fernando Aportela, Undersecretary of Finance and Public Credit, and Naoko Ishii, CEO and Chairperson of the GEF. Juan Manuel Gomez Robledo, Undersecretary for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights of the Ministry of Foreign Relations, and Rodolfo Lacy Tamayo, Undersecretary of Planning and Environmental Policy of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, took part of the signing event.
The Assembly is the governing body of the GEF and is integrated by its 183 member countries. The Assembly meeting is held every four years, and serves to review and evaluate general policies and the operational structure of the institution. Previous Assemblies have taken place in India (1998), China (2002), South Africa (2006) and Uruguay (2010).
Since inception, the GEF has allocated an estimated amount of $11.5 billion leveraged with a co-financing of over $57 billion for more than 3,215 projects in 165 emerging countries. Next Spring, Ministers of State, high-level government delegations, as well as prominent environmentalists, parliamentarians, entrepreneurs, scientists and non-governmental organizations will meet in Cancún to review international environmental challenges for financing projects.
Mexico is a founding member of the GEF and has received $414.1 million in grants to support 54 projects in the areas of biodiversity, climate change, persistent organic pollutants, land degradation and international waters. Additionally, Mexico has been involved in 29 regional and global projects financed by the GEF that have improved intra-regional coordination for environmental issues.
In the upcoming Assembly, Mexico will have the opportunity to describe successful GEF-financed projects such as the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor, the Protected Natural Areas Program, and the development of a program for biodiversity and sustainable productive systems.
This Meeting is an opportunity for Mexico to reaffirm its role as a leader in environmental issues and its commitment towards the environment.