About GEF
The Global Environment Facility (GEF) unites about 182 member governments and works in partnership with international institutions, nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector to address global environmental issues.
GEF is an independent financial institution that provides grants to developing countries including like Ethiopia and countries with economies in transition for projects and programmes on biodiversity conservation, mitigation of or adaptation to climate change, international waters, combating land degradation, preventing the depletion of the ozone layer, and eliminating persistent organic pollutants. These projects and programmes thus benefit the global environment, linking local, national, and global solution to environmental challenges and promoting sustainable livelihoods.
Established in 1991, the GEF is today the largest funder for improving the global environment. The GEF has so far allocated $9.5 billion, supplemented by more than $42 billion in co-financing, for more than 2,700 projects in more than 165 developing countries including Ethiopia and countries with economies in transition. Through its Small Grants Programme (SGP), the GEF has also made more than 12,000 small grants directly to nongovernmental and community organizations, totaling about $495 million.
The GEF partnership includes 10 agencies: the UN Development Programme; the UN Environment Programme; the World Bank; the UN Food and Agriculture Organization; the UN Industrial Development Organization; the African Development Bank; the Asian Development Bank; the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development; the Inter-American Development Bank; and the International Fund for Agricultural Development. The Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel provides technical and scientific advice on the GEF’s policies and projects.
The GEF serves as the financial mechanism of the following conventions:
http://www.thegef.org/gef/whatisgef