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1 1 (October 2, 2019)

handle is hein.crs/govbbfm0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Th Congressional Research Service ~Info rmig th egvlative debate shnce 1914 The Global Environment Facility (GEF) International Environmental Assistance Many governments hold that environmental degradation and climate change pose international and trans-boundary risks to human populations, economies, and ecosystems. To confront these challenges, governments have negotiated various international agreements to protect the environment, reduce pollution, conserve natural resources, and promote sustainable growth. While some observers call upon industrialized countries to take the lead in addressing these issues, many recognize that efforts are unlikely to be sufficient without similar measures being taken in lower- income countries. However, lower-income countries, which tend to focus on poverty reduction and economic growth, may not have the financial resources, technological know- how, and/or institutional capacity to deploy environmentally protective measures on their own. Therefore, international financial assistance, or foreign aid, has been a principal method for governments to support actions on global environmental problems in lower-income countries. Often, this assistance can serve as a cost-effective strategy for donor countries to provide greater market access for domestic goods and services abroad and increased environmental benefits at home. The United States and other industrialized countries have committed to providing financial assistance for global environmental initiatives through a variety of multilateral agreements, including the Montreal Protocol (1987), the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (1992), and the U.N. Convention to Combat Desertification (1994). International financial assistance takes many forms, from fiscal transfers to market transactions. It may include grants, loans, loan guarantees, export credits, insurance products, and private sector investment. It may be structured as official bilateral development assistance or as contributions to multilateral development banks and other international financial institutions. The Global Environment Facility The Global Environment Facility (GEF) is an independent international financial institution that provides grants, promotes cooperation, and fosters actions in developing countries to protect the global environment. Established in 1991, it unites 183 member governments and partners with international institutions, nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector to assist developing countries with environmental projects related to six areas: biodiversity, climate change, chemicals, land degradation, international waters, and forest management. Since its inception, the GEF has allocated $18 billion-supplemented by more than $94 billion in co-financing-for more than 4,500 projects in 170 countries. Updated October 2, 2019 Organizational Structure InternationalAgencies: The GEF partners with 18 international agencies that contribute to the development, management, and delivery of its projects. They include the Asian Development Bank, African Development Bank, Development Bank of Latin America, Conservation International, Development Bank of Southern Africa, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Ministry of Environmental Protection of China, Food and Agriculture Organization, Fundo Brasileiro para a Biodiversidade, Inter-American Development Bank, International Fund for Agricultural Development, International Union for Conservation of Nature, United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Environment Programme, United Nations Industrial Development Organization, West African Development Bank, World Bank Group, and World Wildlife Fund. International Conventions: The GEF is the primary fund administrator for four Rio (1992 Earth Summit) Conventions, including the Convention on Biological Diversity, the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, and the U.N. Convention to Combat Desertification, as well as the Minamata Convention on Mercury. The GEF also establishes operational guidance for ocean and ozone protection activities, the latter consistent with the Montreal Protocol. Internal Organization: The GEF's main decisionmaking body is the GEF Council, which is an independent board of governors responsible for developing, adopting, and evaluating operational policies and programs. The council is composed of 32 appointed members-16 from developing countries, 14 from developed countries (including the United States), and two from countries with economies in transition. The council meets every six months. Formal voting goes before the GEF Assembly, which is composed of representatives from all member countries. The GEF Secretariat, based in Washington, DC, services and reports to the council and the assembly, formulates the work program, oversees implementation, and ensures that operational policies are followed. Information on GEF activities, policies, and projects is available on its website, at http://www.thegef.org/gef/. Funding The GEF is funded by contributions from member governments. GEF funding is designed to provide grants to cover the incremental costs associated with transforming a development project with national benefits into one with global environmental benefits. (For example, choosing renewable technology over fossil fuel technology provides for the same national development goal of power generation ht tps:!crsreports cong --ssqg

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