FAO at the Eighth GEF Assembly
Samarkand, Uzbekistan | 30 may to 6 June 2026
The Eighth Global Environment Facility Assembly will take place from 30 May to 6 June 2026 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, bringing together representatives from 186 member countries and partners from across government, civil society, Indigenous Peoples, academia, youth, and the private sector to shape the future of global environmental action. As the highest governing body of the Global Environment Facility, the Assembly will guide key decisions on environmental priorities, programming, and resource allocation, helping ensure that international financing responds to today’s most urgent environmental challenges.
As the only UN agency with a mandate and in-house expertise spanning across agriculture, fisheries, forestry, and food value chains simultaneously, FAO is a key partner in advancing the GEF's mission of safeguarding the environment through sustainable agrifood systems solutions. At the Eighth GEF Assembly, FAO will demonstrate how sustainable, resilient and inclusive agrifood systems can restore ecosystems, protect biodiversity, strengthen livelihoods and create a healthier planet for present and future generations.
FAO-led Side Events
FAO in Other Events
FAO experts and partners will contribute to a series of high-level GEF roundtables and side events during the Eighth GEF Assembly in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, highlighting innovative approaches to sustainable agrifood systems, landscape restoration, climate resilience and blended finance solutions.
3 June 2026
15:00-16:00 | Agate Room | Unlocking Finance and Technology through Climate Transparency (UNEP)
15:30-16:30 | Onyx Room | Scaling Drought Resilience: Mobilizing Public and Private Finance for Impact (UNCCD)
4 June 2026
16:00-17:30 | Diamond Room | High-level Roundtable | Forging Partnerships for Land and Water in Central Asia and Beyond
12:30-13:30 | Zircon Room | Transforming Food Systems through Regenerative Landscapes: A Shared Outcomes Framework for Aligning Action on Policy, Finance, and the Environment (IUCN)
14:00-15:00 | Onyx Room | Regional Cooperation for Connected Landscapes in Central Asia and Eastern Europe under GEF-9 (IUCN)
14:00-15:00 | Zircon Room | From Farm to Future: How GEF Partnership Powers Uzbekistan’s Agri-food Investment Platform (EBRD)
18:30-19:30 | Agate Room | GEF Small Grants Program Whole-of-Society: Advancing Locally-led Solutions Through Innovation, Inclusion, and Partnership (UNDP, FAO, CI, IUCN)
18:30-19:30 | Ballroom | Food waste: Creating Green Jobs, Food Security and Environmental Benefits Through Circular Solutions & Behavioral Change (UNEP)
5 June 2026
09:00–12:00 | Diamond Room | High-level Roundtable | Leaving No One Behind: Forging Partnerships and Advancing IPLC, Women and CSO Leadership
09:00–12:00 | Ballroom | High-level Roundtable | Science, Integration, Systems Change (Food Systems Panel)
11:30–13:00 | Agate Room | High-level Roundtable | Accelerating Delivery for Environmental Outcomes
13:30-14:30 | Emerald Room | Rio Synergies: Aligning Climate, Nature, and Land Policy and Finance for Transformative Action (UNFCCC, UNCCD, UNCBD)
15:00-16:00 | Agate Room | Mobilizing Coordinated Action for Rangelands and Pastoralists Under the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP) 2026: From Mandate to Implementation (GA4RP)
