10.3 Summary

The roles of the GEF partners—the GEF Agencies, recipient countries, civil society, the GEF-CSO Network, the STAP, and donors—have evolved significantly in advancing global environmental goals. Agencies have contributed technical expertise, financing channels, and implementation capacity; while recipient countries have strengthened ownership through the CES, which has improved alignment with national priorities and supported portfolio development. Civil society, including through the GEF-CSO Network, has broadened participation, improved legitimacy, and promoted accountability, ensuring local perspectives inform global priorities. The STAP has anchored GEF programming in scientific rigor and foresight, offering thematic guidance and innovation; and donor contributions remain the backbone of the partnership, complemented by cofinancing that has substantially increased the scale of resources mobilized. Together, these roles and elements have enabled the GEF to pursue more ambitious and integrated programming across focal areas.

Despite this progress, challenges remain. CES implementation has been uneven, with delays and gaps that limit its potential, particularly in LDCs and SIDS. Agency collaboration has often been undermined by competition, and the growing use of dual-role arrangements highlights the need to balance efficiency with accountability and country ownership. Although cofinancing has been critical for leverage, realization rates vary, and questions of credibility and proportionality persist. Civil society’s contributions are highly valued, yet grassroots voices are still underrepresented, and engagement often occurs too late in project cycles.

Looking ahead, reinforcing institutional coordination, fostering deeper Agency collaboration, broadening inclusive engagement across stakeholders, updating the STAP’s mandate to focus on strategic guidance, and diversifying and stabilizing financing will be essential for strengthening the partnership’s reach, resilience, and effectiveness in delivering lasting global environmental benefits.