The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
World Bank Vice President, Development Finance, and co-Chair of the replenishment meeting said the Global Environment Facility has over the last 25 years been an essential mechanism for addressing environmental challenges at a multilateral level and has made a great difference.
“Today, the international community again gave GEF a strong vote of confidence through the endorsement of a USD 4.1 billion (15 trillion Shillings) financial support package for the next four years. With this renewed mandate, GEF will be able to continue its important role as an impact investor in environmental programs around the globe.”
The new funding will support countries to meet their obligations under various multilateral environmental agreements, including the recently adopted Minamata Convention on Mercury, the three Rio Conventions on Biodiversity, Climate, and Land Degradation, and the Stockholm Convention. Also, strong emphasis is given to financing for Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States.
In Uganda, the National Environment Management Authority and other agencies have initiated efforts toward the elimination of mercury use in artisan mining and in other areas like health.
The Global Environment Facility which was established in October 1991 as a USD 1 billion (3.6 trillion Shillings) pilot programme in the World Bank to assist in the protection of the global environment and to promote environmental-sustainable development is a partnership for international cooperation.
.@theGEF #GEF7 final donors meeting underway in Stockholm today – expectations high for good news for #environment https://t.co/BLdoAxfOsS pic.twitter.com/xAcUY5e97z
— Robert Bisset (@RobbieBisset) April 25, 2018
UNDP, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Bank were the three initial partners implementing GEF projects. Over 180 countries including Uganda work together with international institutions, civil society organizations and the private sector to promote GEF’s goals.
Since 1991, Uganda has accessed a GEF total grant of USD 86.13 million (316 billion Shillings), through national access) and USD 326.5 Million (1.2 trillion Shillings), through regional and global access, which has helped to facilitate implementation of 29 national projects and 42 regional and global projects.
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