The Global Environment Facility (GEF) is an international partnership of 183 countries, international institutions, civil society organizations and the private sector that addresses global environmental issues.
GEF constitutes a financial mechanism for 5 major international environmental conventions, including the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants. Since its establishment in 1992, the GEF has provided over $17 billion in grants and mobilized an additional $88 billion in financing for more than 4000 projects in 170 countries.
Key areas of support
GEF provides funding to government agencies, civil society organizations, private sector companies, research institutions, among the broad diversity of potential partners, supporting projects in developing countries and countries with economies in transition to meet the objectives of the international environmental conventions and agreements.
To be eligible for GEF funding, projects must be consistent with national priorities that support sustainable development and involve the public in project design and implementation. Projects also have to address one or more of the GEF focal area strategies (Biodiversity, International Waters, Land Degradation, Chemicals and Waste, and Climate Change Mitigation, as well as cross-cutting issues like sustainable forest management), and need to be driven by the country (rather than by an external partner).
The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POP’s) was adopted on 22 May 2001 by the Conference of Plenipotentiaries and entered into force on 17 May 2004. It aims to protect human health and the environment from the exposure to POP’s, which pose major and increasing threats to health.
In order to provide technical assistance and to promote the transfer of technology to developing country parties and parties with economies in transition, the Stockholm Convention established a network of 16 regional and sub-regional centres (SCRCs).
Key areas of support
The implementation of the Convention through the regional and sub centres is made possible by the Regional Centre Small Grant Programme (RC-SGP), designed to channel bilateral donor funds.
This Programme has as motto the identification and implementation of projects from the work plan of the regional centres. To achieve high impact projects with relatively low resources, Centres are given the opportunity to implement discrete project activities assisting eligible Parties to meet their obligations under the Convention.