WASHINGTON, DC, November 5, 2013?Two global civil society organizations, Conservation International (CI) and the World Wildlife Fund-US
(WWF-US) can now directly access funding from the Global Environment
Facility (GEF) under a decision welcomed today by the GEF?s governing
Council.
The
decision marks an important milestone in the 22-year history of the
GEF. For the first time, civil society organizations can directly access
GEF funding for environmental projects without having to go through
another GEF agency. The approval given to CI and WWF-US by an
independent GEF Accreditation Panel comes after a rigorous assessment
confirmed that they meet the GEF?s fiduciary standards and environmental
and social safeguards. A review process considering applications by
other organizations to become GEF Project Agencies is underway.
In
remarks Tuesday to the GEF Council, meeting in Washington this week,
GEF CEO and Chairperson Naoko Ishii congratulated CI and WWF-US on the
approval. Both organizations have a long history of working with the
GEF. The partnership designation gives them much greater initiative in
the design of projects, and responsibility in their implementation.
?I
would like to sincerely welcome Conservation International and World
Wildlife Fund-US to the GEF family. The accreditation of new GEF Project
Agencies, enabling them to access GEF funds to implement environmental
projects, is an important way to strengthen the GEF Partnership. I
am very excited about having CI and WWF-US among us. CI and WWF-US will
help us further diversify the GEF?s tool-box, and allow us to present
countries with a broader array of options that can best support them to
address the drivers of global environmental degradation ? Ishii said.
CI
and WWF-US join the roster of 10 GEF Agencies: the African Development
Bank, Asian Development Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and
Development, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations,
Inter-American Development Bank, the International Fund for Agricultural
Development, the United Nations Development Programme, the United
Nations Environment Programme, the United Nations Industrial Development
Organization, and the World Bank.
?We
are pleased and honored to receive the accreditation as a GEF Project
Agency. This is a historic moment for us as it will be the first time
that non-governmental organizations can directly access and disburse
resources from the largest public funder of projects to improve the
global environment. We look forward to working together with
governments, private sector and other GEF agencies to design strong
projects that will leverage science-based solutions to protect nature
for human well-being but also contribute to the sustainable development
agenda?, said Lilian Spijkerman, Vice President of Global Public Partnerships at Conservation International?s Center for Environment and Peace.
?WWF
is proud to join the GEF partnership. We commit to work with the GEF
and leverage our partnerships and resources to help developing countries
address some of the biggest challenges of our day. Natural resource
depletion and climate change continue to destabilize ecosystems. We need
a whole new set of partnerships and innovations to ensure a future in
which both people and nature thrive,? said Carter Roberts, president and CEO of World Wildlife Fund ? US (WWF-US).
(Left
to right) Niels Crone, Chief Operations Officer of Conservation
International and Carter Roberts, President and CEO of WWF-US
CI
has worked with the GEF since its inception in 1991 in endeavors
ranging from engaging as a member of the GEF non-governmental
organization network to supporting the execution of approximately $80
million in GEF funding in the past seven years. CI?s vast experience in
innovative funding for environmental projects and private sector
engagement and will add immense value to the network of agencies by
providing expertise in the most pressing environmental and development
challenges.
WWF
offices around the world have been involved with the design or
execution of more than 100 GEF projects over the past 20 years. With
over 5,000 conservation professionals in more than 100 countries, the
breadth of WWF?s global presence is unmatched among conservation
non-governmental organizations. WWF-US is the North American branch of
WWF.
About the Global Environment Facility
The
Global Environment Facility (GEF) unites 183 countries in partnership
with international institutions, civil society organizations (CSOs), and
the private sector to address global environmental issues while
supporting national sustainable development initiatives. An
independently operating financial organization, the GEF provides grants
for projects related to biodiversity, climate change, international
waters, land degradation, the ozone layer, and persistent organic
pollutants.
Since
1991, the GEF has achieved a strong track record with developing
countries and countries with economies in transition, providing $11.5
billion in grants and leveraging $57 billion in co-financing for over
3,215 projects in over 165 countries. Through its Small Grants Programme
(SGP), the GEF has also made more than 16,030 small grants directly to
civil society and community based organizations, totaling $653.2
million.
No comments:
Post a Comment