Naoko Ishii, CEO and Chairperson, Global Environment Facility (GEF) speaks at an event
Naoko Ishii, CEO and Chairperson of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), opens the 43rd meeting of the GEF Council by underscoring the GEF's strong record and its potential to play an even more influential role in addressing threats to the global environment.
A key element of Dr. Ishii's transformative agenda for the GEF involves a GEF 2020 strategic exercise. In a presentation to the Council on the GEF 2020 exercise, Dr. Ishii said the effort would "seek to identify what roles the GEF can play in catalyzing transformational change."
In her opening remarks, Dr. Ishii recounted her visits to a number of project sites and her many consultations during her first 100 days as CEO. These interactions have been instrumental in the development and refinement of her vision for the GEF, outlined in an updated Vision Statement she presented to the Council. Dr. Ishii said incremental improvements in managing the environment will not suffice.
Noting that the protection of global commons is seldom treated as a priority in policy circles, Dr. Ishii outlined three areas of focus: looking ahead to the future of the GEF; taking decisions to strengthen GEF partnerships; and managing GEF resources prudently and effectively.
She said the 2020 GEF exercise would seek to answer questions that are crucial to the GEF's future and would seek to identify the role the institution can play in catalyzing change and supporting innovation for global environmental benefits.
She noted ongoing collaboration with the conventions and implementing agencies, and encouraged the Council to provide ideas on how to improve the way the Secretariat works with the Council.