GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL FACILITY (GEF) is an independent financial organization that provides grants to developing countries for projects that benefit the global environment and promote sustainable livelihoods in local communities (mainly in six environmental areas: biodiversity, climate change, international waters, land degradation, the ozone layer, and persistent organic pollutants). After the Rio Convention, GEF was established to finance sustainable development in developing countries with funds from developed nations.

GEF has 177 members (also known as the GEF Assembly), which includes developed and developing countries, as well as those countries with economies in transition. Each country has a GEF representative known as a Focal Point, a designated government official who coordinates matters related to GEF governance to ensure that projects meet a country's priorities. The GEF Assembly meets ...