Theme : Integrated Approach Programming in the GEF: From Design to Impact
The Congo Basin is one of the world's largest tropical forests, vital for biodiversity, climate regulation, and local livelihoods. The UNEP Congo Basin Landscapes Initiative aims to showcase integrated landscape management efforts through innovative multimedia storytelling. This event facilitates knowledge exchange, highlights project impacts, and strengthens regional and global collaboration to address deforestation, peatland conservation, and climate resilience.
-Hybrid format with virtual participation options available-
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Le bassin du Congo est l'une des plus grandes forêts tropicales du monde, essentielle à la biodiversité, à la régulation du climat et aux moyens de subsistance locaux. L'initiative « Congo Basin Landscapes » du PNUE vise à mettre en avant les efforts de gestion intégrée des paysages grâce à une narration multimédia innovante. Cet événement facilite l'échange de connaissances, met en évidence l'impact des projets et renforce la collaboration régionale et mondiale pour lutter contre la déforestation, préserver les tourbières et renforcer la résilience climatique.
-Format hybride avec options de participation virtuelle disponibles-
Sections
Since its establishment in 1992, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) has emerged as a vital financial mechanism for addressing global environmental challenges. By channeling over US$25 billion in grants and mobilizing approximately US$150 billion in co-financing, the GEF has supported more than 5,000 projects across 145 countries. Its funding primarily targets actions that generate measurable improvements in the global environment, aligned with international environmental conventions and country-specific development goals.
Over time, countries have increasingly adopted integrated approaches that address multiple environmental issues simultaneously, harnessing the synergies between various focal areas such as biodiversity, climate change, land degradation, and chemicals management. This evolution has laid the foundation for the GEF's more systemic, integrated programming strategies.
As environmental threats continue to intensify—ranging from deforestation and climate change to pollution and biodiversity loss—there is a pressing need for more holistic, systems-based solutions. The GEF has responded by developing and scaling up its "integrated approach programming" (IAP), which strategically combines efforts across sectors and scales to deliver transformative, durable impacts.
This forum aims to foster knowledge exchange among GEF agencies, country partners, and technical experts on best practices, lessons learned, and innovative strategies in IAP. By synthesizing experiences from GEF’s evolving cycles, the forum will contribute to refining how integrated programs are designed, implemented, and scaled, ultimately driving more effective impact and systemic change in global environmental governance and action.
| Day | Activity | Details |
|---|---|---|
| April 13 | Field Trip (Optional) | Excursion to selected GEF-supported project sites. Focus on witnessing on-the-ground implementation of integrated solutions, stakeholder engagement, and innovative approaches in real-world contexts. |
| Opening Plenary | Formal introduction, setting the scene for the forum; keynote speakers from GEF, partners, and host country; overview of GEF’s impact and future vision in integrated approaches. | |
| April 14 | Parallel Workstreams | Focused discussions led by GEF agencies on core themes: design principles, multi-scale integration, stakeholder engagement, etc. Each workstream will feature case studies, interactive dialogue, and breakout groups. |
| Knowledge Café | Interactive sessions where participants share practical tools, success stories, and lessons learned related to integrated approaches across different contexts. | |
| Training Workshops | Capacity-building sessions on innovative financing, systems thinking, monitoring and evaluation of impact, stakeholder engagement, and data platforms. | |
| April 15 | Parallel Workstreams | Continued thematic discussions with an emphasis on cross-cutting issues like gender mainstreaming, social inclusion, and governance alignment. |
| Open Space for Bilateral Meetings | Structured networking and one-on-one discussions to establish collaborations, discuss challenges, or explore project synergies. | |
| Knowledge Café | Continued knowledge sharing, with a focus on country-specific case studies and practical implementation experiences. | |
| April 16 | Closing of Parallel Sessions & Synthesis | Summarizing key findings from workstreams and knowledge cafés; identifying common challenges, emerging opportunities, and scalable solutions. |
| Closing Plenary | Reflection on lessons learned; consensus-building on actionable recommendations; presentation of high-level priorities for future GEF programming and impact measurement. | |
| April 17 | Optional Day for Lead Agency & IP Meetings | Dedicated space for individual agencies or integrated programs to strategize, share updates, and coordinate follow-up actions. |
- International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) – Leading the Resilient Food Systems program.
- United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) – Leading programs like the Good Growth Partnership and Blue and Green Islands.
- World Bank – Leading programs including Food Systems, Land Use and Restoration (FOLUR), Sustainable Forest Management in Amazon, Sustainable Cities, and Global Wildlife for Development.
- UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) – Leading programs such as Sustainable Forest Management in the Congo Basin and Dryland regions.
- Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) – Leading Food Systems program and Clean and Healthy Oceans.
- Conservation International (CI) – Leading Ecosystem Restoration.
- World Wildlife Fund USA (WWF-US) – Leading Greening Transportation Infrastructure Development (GRID IP) and Circular Solutions to Plastics Pollution (CSPP IP).