JUNE 4, 2026 — Dr. Raweewan Bhuridej, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE), in her capacity as Head of the Thai Delegation and the Global Environment Facility Operational Focal Point (GEF OFP), attended the 8th GEF Assembly at the Silk Road Samarkand Congress Center. She was accompanied by Mr. Prasert Sirinapaporn, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the MNRE, and representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, joining delegates from 186 countries.
The Assembly convened to formulate the GEF support framework for the ninth replenishment period (GEF-9: 2026–2030). As the premier global environmental fund, the GEF provides critical financial support to developing countries for projects across five focal areas: climate change, biodiversity, land degradation management, chemicals and waste management, and international waters management.
Furthermore, special support is extended to the Integrated Programme (IP), which aims to manage at least two environmental focal areas simultaneously to maximize budget efficiency and achieve optimal results. Dr. Raweewan delivered a statement during the opening ceremony, emphasizing Thailand's commitment to addressing global environmental crises, including climate change, environmental pollution, and biodiversity loss. In the past, Thailand has received financial support from the GEF to complete over 70 projects, driving environmental progress across multiple dimensions, such as the management of Unintentional Persistent Organic Pollutants (U-POPs) and the promotion of community participation in sustainable forest management. This assembly is of vital significance, as it will determine the final financial support framework under the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
Consequently, the Permanent Secretary called upon developed countries to accelerate their contributions to the GEF and requested that the GEF streamline its project proposal review processes to ensure countries can access funding in a timely manner. Additionally, Dr. Raweewan exchanged information regarding project implementation outcomes with GEF Agencies, such as the FAO and IUCN, to serve as guidelines for developing Thailand’s project proposals. The GEF is scheduled to announce the funding allocation for each country under the GEF-9 cycle on July 1, 2026, after which the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment will host a national dialogue with relevant agencies to determine the project framework that Thailand intends to submit for GEF-9 support, enabling various agencies to prepare project proposals within the designated timeframe.
