Keeping GEF stakeholders abreast of developments relating to GEF strategies, policies and procedures (Google / Solomon Star)

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http://www.solomonstarnews.com/sports/national/12286-global-environment-workshop-starts-tomorrow

Global environment workshop starts tomorrow

The Government of Solomon Islands through the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management & Meteorology and in partnership with the Global Environment Facility (GEF) secretariat (Washington DC), is hosting the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Expanded Constituency Workshop (ECW) in Honiara, Solomon Islands, from 27-29 September 2011.

The ECW will take place in Solomon Kitano Mendana Hotel.

The GEF ECW will bring together GEF political and operational focal points, focal points from the main Conventions of Biodiversity, Desertification, Climate Change and Persistent Organic Pollutants, representatives from civil societies and representatives from GEF Implementing Agencies.

The purpose of the meeting is to keep GEF stakeholders abreast of developments relating to GEF strategies, policies and procedures and to further enhance stakeholder coordination.

Around 80 participants will come from Cook Islands, Fiji, Indonesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

The GEF serves as a financial mechanism to the Rio-conventions of which Solomon Islands is a party to, namely: United Nations Convention of Biological Diversity (UNCBD); United Nations Convention of Combating Desertification (UNCCD) and United Nations Framework on Convention of Climate Change (UNFCCC).

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) unites 182 member governments — in partnership with international institutions, nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector — to address global environmental issues.

An independent financial organization, the GEF provides grants to developing countries and countries with economies in transition for projects related to biodiversity, climate change, international waters, land degradation, the ozone layer, and persistent organic pollutants.

These projects benefit the global environment, linking local, national, and global environmental challenges and promoting sustainable livelihoods.

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