PR – Grenada is being represented at the 7th Global Environment Facility (GEF) Assembly in Vancouver, Canada, by Minister with responsibility for the Ministry of Mobilisation, Implementation and Transformation, Hon. Andy Williams and Ms. Peron Johnson, Permanent Secretary (Ag) who is also the GEF Operational Focal Point in Grenada.
The Seventh Assembly of the Global Environment Facility will stand out for its focus on the dangers of the present; a time when the world is struggling to cope with record air and sea temperatures, deadly and destructive wildfires, and extreme flooding.
Created three decades ago with a narrower focus, the GEF is the world’s largest multilateral funder of environmental action, and a trusted partner of both donor governments seeking to make a global difference, and developing countries looking to tackle their biggest ecological and sustainability challenges.
According to GEF CEO and Chairperson, Carlos Manuel Rodriguez, Costa Rica’s former environment and energy minister, “This Seventh GEF Assembly will have a clear theme: the need to work together in new ways, within and across countries and across sectors, to heal the planet.
The Assembly will chart a path forward through three dimensions: elevating the contributions of science to a healthier and more biodiverse planet; generating more funding from all sources to address biodiversity loss, climate change, and pollution; and ensuring that environmental governance becomes more inclusive and focused on those who have been historically under-represented in this space, including youth, women, and Indigenous People.
A highlight of the Assembly’s agenda will be the launch of the new Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF), which will provide a boost to developing countries’ investments in
nature, and support Indigenous People and local communities. Grenada intends to leverage future collaboration in this regard.
In a demonstration of the GEF’s growing focus on civil society, the Assembly in Vancouver will include a full-day Partnership Forum with programmes and discussion focused on groups that have not always had a voice at intergovernmental gatherings. This session will include and celebrate the perspectives of youth, women, local communities, and Indigenous People, with dedicated networking spaces and opportunities to engage with each other and with government representatives.
The programme also features sessions dedicated to science and an emphasis on the current and potential role of the private sector in building a safer, healthier planet in partnership with national and sub-national governments.
The Vancouver meeting is an important next step as countries find new and bold ways to work together to address environmental pressures that are making themselves increasingly evident all around the world. Grenada stands to benefit for funding for many transformative initiatives following attendance at the 7th GEF Assembly.
The GEF Assembly, which runs until August 26, 2023, occurs every four years with a gathering of 185 countries.
