UNDP at the 8th Global Environment Facility (GEF) Assembly 2026

May 21, 2026

Event Details

Date

May 30, 2026 -
June 6, 2026

Time

GMT+5

Location

Samarkand, Uzbekistan

The Eighth Global Environment Facility (GEF) Assembly (30 May to 6 June 2025), under the theme “Last sprint towards 2030,” brings together government officials from 186 member countries, environmental leaders, policymakers, civil society, Indigenous Peoples, the private sector, and youth from around the world, among others.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will play a central role across the Assembly engagements, highlighting how integrated approaches and partnerships can drive scalable impact toward global environmental goals, united under the theme: “Delivering Economies in which People and Planet Thrive Together.”

Since 1991, UNDP has worked side by side with the Global Environment Facility, partnering with 165 governments to drive climate-resilient, nature-positive development. From supporting the development of National Development Contributions through the Climate Promise, to unlocking finance through the Nature Pledge, UNDP’s comparative advantage includes our long-standing country presence and technical expertise in integrating programming across nature, climate, chemicals and waste and energy portfolios. At the GEF Assembly in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, UNDP's engagements will focus on bringing partners together, to unlock more finance to scale up solutions for people and planet globally.

View the full programme

UNDP engagements in GEF Assembly Side Events:

No.	Side event, schedule, venue	Description	Organizers/Partners
1	Supporting Implementation of Stockholm Convention through Sound Management of Chemicals and Waste in Uzbekistan 3 June, Wednesday 16:30 - 17:30 Emerald Room, the Silk Road Congress Center	This event will bring together stakeholders to review Uzbekistan’s National Implementation Plan under the Stockholm Convention and discuss pathways to accelerate its implementation. It will highlight practical approaches to reduce risks from persistent organic pollutants, alongside the launch of a new GEF-8 initiative led by UNDP.	UNDP, National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan
2	Making Policy Coherence Work: Whole-of-Government Solutions for Nature and Climate 4 June, Thursday 14:00 - 15:00 Agate Room, the Silk Road Congress Center	This side event will show how policy coherence can move from aspiration to practice by connecting biodiversity planning, national reporting and biodiversity finance from the outset. It will highlight how whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches can align commitments across Rio Conventions and national development priorities, while reducing duplication and strengthening investment readiness, featuring global and regional examples and contributions from the GEF and CBD Secretariats on how finance, guidance and accountability can accelerate GBF implementation.	UNDP, The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), The UNDP Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN), the Government of Brazil, GEF Secretariat
3	Closing the Funding Gap: Catalyzing Private Finance for PCB Elimination and Clean Energy Transition June 4, Thursday 14:00 - 15:00 Venue TBC	TBC	UNDP, The GEF Secretariat, Partners TBC
3	GEF SGP Whole of Society Approach: Advancing Locally Led Solutions Through Innovation, Inclusion, and Partnership June 4, Thursday 18:00 - 19:00 Agate Room, the Silk Road Congress Center	Participants will discuss a whole-of-society approach, highlighting the leadership of civil society and local communities in delivering global environmental solutions rooted in traditional knowledge, fostering innovation, resilience, inclusive engagement and leadership, especially among women, Indigenous Peoples, youth and persons with disabilities.	UNDP SGP, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Conservation International (CI) International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), The World Bank, GEF Secretariat
4	Scaling Nature-Positive Solutions for Whole-of-Island Benefits in SIDS June 4, Thursday 18:00 - 19:00 Onyx Room, the Silk Road Congress Center	This side event will bring together partners to discuss lessons learned and showcase pioneering integrated and inclusive approaches in SIDS to address ‘whole-of-island’ issues. These include conserving land, water and ocean resources while mitigating and adapting to climate change, promoting access to sustainable energy, enhancing local capacity, and creating jobs – turning challenges into opportunities for prosperous and transformative development.	UNDP, SIDS for Nature Coalition, Blue Green Initiative Integrated Programme Small Island Developing Sates, Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF), GEF
5	From Corridors to Communities: A Regional Vision for Wildlife and Resilient Landscapes in Central Asia (Central Asian Regional GEF-9 Biodiversity Investments on Big Cats) June 4, Thursday 18:30 - 19:30 Emerald Room, the Silk Road Congress Center	This side event will highlight the importance of regional cooperation for conserving Central Asia’s shared wildlife populations and landscapes. Participants will discuss country leadership and innovative approaches to wildlife conservation and sustainable use, and an emerging portfolio of nationally driven, regionally coherent GEF-9 wildlife investments will be presented. The discussions will strengthen regional dialogue and visibility for Central Asia within the GEF Global Wildlife for Development Integrated Program.	UNDP, National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan, jointly with Environmental Ministries of Central Asian countries
6	Complementarity and Innovation to Close the Weather and Climate Data Gap in LDCs and SIDS June 5, Friday 16:30 - 17:30 Agate Room, the Silk Road Congress Center	This side event will focus on how UNDP and UNEP are enabling countries to move along the full climate-finance value chain. It will feature a dialogue on how the integrated use of SOFF and GEF/LDCF resources—underpinned by innovative financing like the SOFF Impact Bond—can ensure that the world’s most vulnerable populations are not left behind in the race for climate resilience.	UNDP, United Nations Environment Programme, the Systematic Observations Financing Facility (SOFF), World Meteorological Organization (WMO)