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GEF Country Dialogue Workshop
Beirut 8-10 January 2002

As a follow-up to the recommendations of the first GEF national meeting that was held on the 7th of September 2001 at the Ministry of Environment with the support of UNDP, The Ministry of Environment (GEF Government focal point) in close cooperation with UNDP/GEF in New York and the UNDP Country Office in Lebanon organized a Country Dialogue Workshop (CDW) from 8 -10 January 2002 in Beirut.

The workshop aimed at informing a broad-based national audience about the GEF mission, strategy, policies and procedures; facilitating national stakeholder input to and information sharing on the country's GEF program to ensure it reflects national priorities for GEF assistance; and providing practical information on how to access GEF resources and how to propose, prepare and implement GEF-financed activities, including dissemination of information on best practices and lessons learned.

The workshop was opened by H.E. Mr. Michel Moussa, Minister of Environment, Mr. Yves de San, UNDP Resident Representative, and Mr. John Wetter, World Bank- Lebanon. (Press Clippings)

The workshop included five main sessions: GEF Awareness Briefing, Country Level Dialogue, Project Development Training, Role of the Private Sector, and Role of the Science & Technology Advisory Panel (STAP). The sessions were presented by GEF team
 
comprised of Mr. Ton Boon von Ochssee, GEF Secretariat, Mr. Sherf Arif, World Bank/GEF, Mr. Hani Daraghma and Mr. Marcel Alers UNDP/GEF. The Country Level Dialogue Session was presented by Mr. Berj Hatjian, GEF Operational Focal Point, and the Ministry of Environment Team: Ms. Lara Samaha, Ms. Lina Yamout, Ms. Alia Kaskas, and Mr. Nabil Mina, Climate Change Project Manager. (CDW Reference Material).

Ninety seven participants in the meeting were representing Ministries, research institutes, non-governmental organizations as well as academic and private sector. They were very keen to learn more about GEF and modalities of developing and implementing GEF projects. The participants were divided into two working groups one on Biodiversity & International Waters, and the second on Climate Change. The participants, through the working group sessions, got familiar with determining project eligibility, including basic logical framework methodology, and determining format and content of project concept paper. The Biodiversity & International Waters Working Group discussed a project concept related to the "Conservation & Sustainable Use of Natural Resources in South Lebanon". The Climate Change Working Group discussed a project concept paper related to "Reduction of the GHG emissions from the Transport Sector in the Greater Beirut Area through the Promotion of a Mass Transit System". The two concept papers were selected as two national priorities to be addressed under GEF. The Ministry of Environment along with UNDP and the World Bank will follow-up on the development and submission of the two proposals.