Keynote Address on the Global Environment Facility Expanded Workshop at Radisson Blu Hotel, Freetown From 10-13 May 2016 by the Chairperson of EPA, Mrs. Haddijatou Jallow.
Mr. Chairman, Members of the GEF Secretariat, Distinguished Participants, Ladies and Gentlemen. All other important protocols observed.
I am indeed very pleased and highly honored to be with you here to deliver the keynote address at this very important occasion.
Let me begin by welcoming you to Freetown, Sierra Leone and more importantly to this Expanded Constituency Workshop.
As the host of important meeting, with the support of the GEF Secretariat we have put at your disposal, all the necessary facilities, which no doubt we believe will contribute immensely to the success of the meeting.
May I also thank all the experts, partners as well as other participants from civil society for sparing time, from your busy schedules to join us here in Freetown for the Expanded Constituency Workshop.
This Expanded Constituency workshop provides a forum for national focal points, convention focal points and other stakeholders including civil society for active engagement on global environmental issues with a special emphasis on GEF, strategic policies and procedures as well as to strengthen coordination and partnership among different stakeholders such as GEF national focal points, convention focal points and other stakeholders, including civil society.
The Global Environment Facility (GEF) has been one of the key financing mechanisms supporting nations to address these challenges. This was established on the eve of the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, to help tackle our planet’s most pressing environmental problems. Since then, the the GEF has provided $14.5 billion in grants and mobilized $75.4 billion in additional financing for almost 4,000 projects.
The GEF has become an international partner of 183 countries, international institutions, civil society organizations and the private sector to address global environmental issues including climate change. GEF was entrusted to become the financial mechanism for the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, UN Convention to combat Desertification and now the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, and the Minamata Convention on Mercury.
With these few remarks, I would like to wish you fruitful discussions over the next few days. I therefore declare this Expanded Constituency workshop officially open.
I thank you all.
Kamara Abu Bakarr’s photo.
Kamara Abu Bakarr’s photo.
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