Iran, FAO Launch Joint Program on Green Climate Fund

The Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in collaboration with the Department of Environment of the Islamic Republic of Iran (DOE) held the Inception Workshop of the “Green Climate Fund (GCF) Readiness Program” that aims to strengthen the country’s capacity to access climate finance to implement its commitments to reducing emission and strengthening resilience.

Organized in four sessions on 04 and 05 August 2019 in DOE premises, the Inception Workshop was attended by experts and scholars from FAO, DOE, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Agriculture Jahad, the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Petroleum, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Cooperatives, Labour, and Social Welfare, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance, the Meteorological Organization and other relevant key partners from public and private sectors.

Participants discussed a coordination platform to engage all relevant stakeholders. The experts also defined necessary strategic investment criteria for prioritizing climate investments and a strategy to ensure that adaptation and mitigation actions will benefit all key stakeholders especially women, youth and children.

Speaking at the event, FAO Representative to Iran, Mr Gerold Bödeker thanked DOE, GCF and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the support extended to this Program and congratulated all participating agencies and stakeholders on developing collective views on strategic priorities for Iran’s access to climate finance and actions to strengthen coordinated actions. He emphasized the importance of climate smart agriculture that encompasses sustainable forest and other natural resources management, saying that FAO is looking forward to further collaboration with national and international partners to mitigate climate change threats.

Coordinated by FAO and funded by GCF, this Readiness Program supports the establishment of National Designated Authority Office within the Department of Environment to improve Iran’s climate change investment planning, decision-making mechanisms and act as the coordination body for developing, appraising and financing Programs and projects that aim to adapt and mitigate climate change.