NATIONAL NEWS
Samarkand, Uzbekistan – A high-level Liberian delegation is actively participating in the 8th Assembly of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the 71st Meeting of the GEF Council, currently underway in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, where global environmental financing priorities and strategic directions are being discussed.
By: Trokon S. Wrepue – trokon1992seokin@gmail.com
The 8th GEF Assembly, the organization’s highest governing body, is being held from May 30 to June 6, 2026, while the 71st GEF Council Meeting runs from May 31 to June 3, 2026.
The Council brings together representatives of member countries to review and approve policies, strategic directions, work programs, and financing decisions under the GEF family of funds.
The Assembly, convened every four years, gathers all 186 GEF member countries to deliberate on global environmental challenges, including climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation, and pollution linked to chemicals and waste.
It also serves as a platform for strengthening partnerships and mobilizing financial resources for environmental action worldwide.
Liberia’s participation in the meetings is being viewed as significant, as the country continues to benefit from GEF support in key areas such as climate resilience, biodiversity conservation, coastal defense, sustainable land management, and environmental governance.
The GEF remains one of Liberia’s major multilateral partners in mobilizing grants and technical assistance to address urgent environmental and climate-related challenges.
As part of the ongoing engagements, Liberia also participated in the West African Constituency Meeting, where member countries within the sub-region coordinated common priorities, discussed shared challenges, and aligned positions ahead of the Council deliberations.
The Liberian delegation is headed by Dr. Emmanuel K. Urey Yarkpawolo, Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of Liberia and the country’s Operational Focal Point for the GEF. He is accompanied by Mr. Benjamin Karmorh, Chief Technical Advisor, and Mr. Desmond Thompson, Alternative Operational Focal Point.
Speaking during the session, Dr. Urey Yarkpawolo expressed appreciation to the GEF for its continued partnership with Liberia, noting that the support has contributed significantly to environmental protection and climate adaptation efforts in the country.
He disclosed that Liberia is currently implementing a US$10 million coastal defense project aimed at protecting vulnerable shoreline communities from sea erosion. He further informed the meeting that just this week, Liberia launched another US$10 million initiative targeting agriculture, fisheries, tourism, and biodiversity conservation.
However, Dr. Yarkpawolo also raised concerns over what he described as the GEF’s high co-financing requirement. He pointed out that the current 7:1 co-financing ratio—where beneficiary countries are expected to mobilize US$7 for every US$1 provided by the GEF—places a significant burden on vulnerable and least developed countries like Liberia.
He stressed that such requirements are challenging for countries already facing fiscal constraints while simultaneously dealing with climate change impacts, coastal erosion, biodiversity loss, and other environmental pressures. The GEF, according to him, acknowledged the concern and indicated that it would be reviewed.
The Liberian delegation also used the platform to highlight the urgent threat posed by sea level rise and coastal erosion, warning that coastal cities and communities across Liberia remain at serious risk. Dr. Yarkpawolo called for stronger global attention to be placed on sea level rise and coastal degradation in future GEF programming.
Despite the challenges raised, Liberia reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening cooperation with the GEF and ensuring that all GEF-funded interventions deliver tangible benefits to communities, ecosystems, and national development priorities.
The delegation further emphasized that Liberia will continue to advocate for more flexible and inclusive financing arrangements that reflect the realities of least developed countries, particularly those on the frontlines of climate change.
Discussions at the Council meeting are expected to continue, with further deliberations on financing frameworks, programming priorities, and strategic directions for future GEF support to member countries.
