54th GEF Council meeting launched in Da Nang City

The series of events in the 54th Global Environment Facility (GEF) Council Meeting officially began yesterday at the Ariyana Danang Exhibition & Convention Center (ADECC) in Da Nang City.

The 54th GEF Council Meeting
The 54th GEF Council Meeting

The meeting, held every four years to share solutions on sustainable development, is now organized to consider the updated policy on co-sponsorship; the increase of cooperation between members of the GEF; the regulations on the transparent resource allocation system for the 7th period from 2018 – 2022; the plans and budget in 2019; the working schedule of GEF; the agreements on minor sponsorship and the agreements on implementing the national sponsorship program for the GEF in the period from 2018 – 2022.

Participating in the series of event are environment ministers of many countries in the world, managers of the United Nations’ bodies, and leaders of multi-lateral financial organizations like Mr. Achim Steiner, CEO of the United Nations Development Program; Mr. Erik Solheim, CEO of the United Nations Environment Programme; Mr. Takehiko Nakao, President of the Asian Development Bank; European Bank for Reconstruction and Development; Ms. Cristiana Pasca Palmer, Executive Secretary of the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity; Mr. Peter Thomson, United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy for the Ocean; Mr. Howard Bamsey, Executive Director of the Secretariat of the Green Climate Fund.

This event is also joined by leaders of giant international corporates such as Mr. Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever; Ms. Sunny Verghese, CEO of Olam International; and scientists such as Mr. Johan Rockstrom, CEO of the Stockholm Resilience Center; leaders of non-governmental organizations like Mr. Andrew Steer, President cum CEO of the World Resources Institute; Mr. Shenggen Fan, General Director of the International Food Policy Research Institute; CEO Mark Watts

All these visitors will take part in press conferences and answer interview questions on the Facebook Live page of the digital channel GEF Live.

There will also be a round-table discussion on food, land restoration and use, sustainable cities, blue economies, cooperation on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations, scientific goals, rotation economy, plastic waste in the oceans, sustainable landscapes in Amazon and Congo, wild animals, genders and the environment, clean energy and innovation, conservation finance.

Many sub-events and exhibitions will also take place during the one-week meeting and the 24th meeting of the Special Climate Change Fund / the Least Developed Countries Fund or the Forum of the Civil Society.

On June 29, the tour on GEF projects in Da Nang City will happen.

After this meeting, the 6th Assembly Meeting of the GEF will officially be held in Da Nang City in June 27 and 28. On June 27, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc is going to deliver the opening speech.

It is expected that Ms. Hilda Heine, President of the island nation of Marshall; Mr. Michelle Bachelet, former President of Chile; and Ms. Jose Maria Figueres, former President of Costa Rica will take part in the event.

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