Grenada joined representatives from the Global Environment Facility’s (GEF) 186 member countries at the Eighth GEF Assembly and Associated Meetings, held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, from 30 May to 6 June 2026. As the GEF’s highest governing body, which convenes once every four years, the Assembly opened the GEF-9 funding cycle (2026–2030) and its integrated Nature–Climate–Pollution agenda, setting the framework that will guide global environmental financing through 2030.
Grenada was represented by the High Commissioner for Grenada to the United Kingdom, Ms. Rachel Croney, GEF Operational Focal Point Mrs. Nicole Clarke-Gurley, GEF Operational Focal Point Alternate Ms. Isabel Morris.
The delegation delivered Grenada’s national statement to the Assembly, contributed to high-level panels, including a session on the role of National Steering Committees, and joined Nigerian and Trinidadian counterparts on the “Leaving No Country Behind” side event. The delegation also engaged the GEF Independent Evaluation Office and partner agencies on the margins of the meetings.
Throughout the Assembly, Grenada amplified the priorities of Small Island Developing States (SIDS), pressing for simplified and faster access to finance, stronger recognition of SIDS as co-designers rather than mere beneficiaries, and sustained investment in local capacity. The delegation welcomed GEF-9 commitments to the Whole-of-Society Approach, including expanded direct financing for Indigenous Peoples, local communities, women and youth, and reaffirmed Grenada’s commitment to the 30×30 biodiversity target under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
“Grenada came to Samarkand to ensure our voice is heard upstream, where priorities are set and decisions are shaped. Our focus for GEF-9 is innovation and high, practical impact that the ordinary Grenadian can feel, backed by the local capacity to sustain results long after a project ends,” said Mrs. Nicole Clarke-Gurley, Grenada’s GEF Operational Focal Point.
Grenada has established a National Steering Committee to guide GEF-9 project identification and to deliver a more balanced national portfolio. A call for project ideas will be issued to responsible ministries, spanning climate change, the ocean and blue economy, water and waste by early July, with proposals required to align with the National Sustainable Development Plan 2035 and the Medium-Term Action Plan. Once Grenada’s STAR allocation is confirmed, expected in July, the country will deepen engagement with implementing agencies, prioritising innovation, digitalisation, on-the-ground capacity building and the strengthening of national project oversight. These steps reflect Grenada’s determination to translate the commitments of Samarkand into tangible, lasting benefits for its people.
