The Council, the GEF's main governing body, comprises 32 members appointed by constituencies of GEF member countries (14 from developed countries, 16 from developing countries, and two from economies in transition). Council members rotate at different intervals determined by each constituency. The Council, which meets twice annually, develops, adopts and evaluates the operational policies and programs for GEF-financed activities. It also reviews and approves the work program (projects submitted for approval), making decisions by consensus.

The Global Environment Facility organized this consultation to respond to CMA 4 guidance on matters related to finance, and to provide an update on the status of the GEF support to Parties for the implementation of the Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF). The workshop was designed to enable sharing of information and early lessons between Parties regarding the initial experiences with Biennial Transparency Report (BTR) support and preparation.