Talking Points

I. Highlights of November Council Meeting

The last GEF Council Meeting was held November 17-19, 2005, in Washington, DC. The following are highlights of the meeting.

II. GEF Chairman and CEO to Retire

Leonard Good, the GEF Chairman and CEO, has announced that he will retire when his term ends in June 2006.

III. Achim Steiner Elected New UNEP Executive Director

The General Assembly, acting upon the nomination of Secretary-General Kofi Annan, today unanimously elected Achim Steiner of Germany as the new Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) for a four -year term, effective 15 June 2006.

IV. GEF Resource Allocation Framework

In September 2005, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Council adopted the Resource Allocation Framework (RAF), a new system for allocating GEF resources to recipient countries to increase the impact of GEF funding on the global environment.

V. Focal Point News

Indonesia Hosts Constituency Meeting
From December 14–15, 2005, Indonesia convened the GEF focal point meeting for the constituency consisting of Cook Islands, Fiji, Indonesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.

VI. Focal Area News

Biodiversity—Managing for Results
The outcomes of the “Managing for Results” system in the biodiversity focal area were presented as part of the 2005 Portfolio Implementation Review.

VII. National Dialogue News

GEF Dialogue Initiative to Host Consultations for GEF Focal Points
The GEF Dialogue Initiative is pleased to announce that between late April and mid-July 2006, all political and operational GEF focal points, as well as some nongovernmental organizations, will be invited to participate in one of six subregional consultations to be organized by the program partners.

VIII. GEF-NGO Network News

NGO Guide to the GEF
Developed by NGOs, this new guide is intended to help NGOs understand how the GEF operates, how to apply for its funds, and how to influence its policies.

IX. News from GEF Evaluation Office

New GEF Monitoring and Evaluation Policy
The GEF Council has approved the GEF monitoring and evaluation policy, requesting the Evaluation Office to proceed with its implementation.

X. News from Implementing Agencies

UNEP News
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Considered at Biodiversity Conference of the Parties

XI. Good Practice Notes

“GEF National Coordination—Lessons Learned” Study Now Available in Five Languages

XII. Other News

Benchmark Ecosystem Assessment Wins Award

XIII. New GEF Council Members, Alternates and Focal Points

November 2005-March 2006