ĐÀ NẴNG — The 6th Global Environment Facility (GEF-6) Assembly introduced innovations in terms of integrated approaches for cities, commodity supply chains and food security in Africa, said CEO Naoko Ishii at the 54th GEF Council Meeting – the last council meeting of GEF-6 – at Đà Nẵng’s Ariyana Convention Centre on Sunday.

She said the implementation of GEF-6 had met with both challenges and successes over the past four years.

“It is an opportunity to both look back on what we have learned and achieved in the past four years, and to look ahead and kick off GEF-7. In GEF-6, we also continued to strengthen our policy framework on issues like gender, results, the GEF project cycle, and many other areas,” Naoko Ishii said.

“We have a number of policy decisions to make as a result of the GEF-7 replenishment negotiations. Sustainable development goals provide us with a useful framework to measure progress,” she said.

Floods isolate an area in suburban Đà Nẵng. The coastal central region of Việt Nam is vulnerable to climate change. — VNS Photo Công Thành

“I think we have achieved a lot together these past four years. We have also learned a lot, and much of this learning has been translated into GEF-7. The GEF-7 replenishment discussion has given us the opportunity to think about what the GEF can do for the next four years.”

Claudio Maretti, from the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation under the  Brazilian Protected Areas Agency, said: “Some vulnerable countries that have been affected by rising sea levels such as small islands and countries with long coastlines like Việt Nam and Brazil need to move their agenda on climate change,” he said.

“We need to improve our marine ecology approach to adapt to drastic climate events (increasing rainfall and typhoons),” Maretti said, adding that he hoped more funding would be reserved for this work.

He suggested that urgent action was needed to focus on a natural resistance system.

“The GEF is an important event. We are expecting a joint-agreement among governments on how to build an approach for the GEF-7’s mission related to environmental protection. We have invested more and more to reduce pollution and the pressure its puts on nature,” said Natasa Kovasevic from Mongtenegro.

An exhibition on environmental protection has been launched at the Global Environment Facility Assembly at Đà Nẵng’s Ariyana International Convention Centre. — VNS Photo Công Thành

Exhibition pavilions from biodiversity protection organisations including World Wildlife Fund (WWF), United Nations and the Đà Nẵng-based centre for biodiversity conservation research, GreenViet, officially opened on Sunday.

Technical meetings and sideline events have been taking place since Saturday as part of the GEF’s partnership programmes.

An informal ministerial dialogue on co-ordinated engagement will take place on tomorrow while GEF Assembly Plenary sessions will open on Wednesday.

More than 1,500 participants from 183 member countries have registered to take part in the event from June 23-29.

The GEF Assembly and associated meetings are held every four years.

The event will also consider the establishment of a restructured global environmental facility on the basis of recommendations from the GEF Council. — VNS