TUVALU’S Minister for Environment, Maina Vakafua Talia, has urged governments and partners at the 8th Assembly of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) to move beyond gradual reform and deliver what he called “transformational change” to confront climate and environmental crises.
Speaking on behalf of Tuvalu’s government and people, he said the Assembly marked significant milestones as the GEF 8 cycle ends and GEF 9 begins.
Talia framed the meeting as a turning point for global environmental action.
“We are at a critical juncture in our spirit toward the 2030 sustainability targets,” he said, adding that countries must build on this spirit – the spirit of genuine partnership and shared responsibilities.
He said the world is under pressure from funding gaps and ecological decline, and argued that governments must act with greater ambition.
“We therefore must commit to move beyond incremental change to deliver transformational change,” he said.
He also called for deeper use of blended finance, private-sector engagement, and science-based systems change.
“Small island developing states and least developed countries must be treated as especially vulnerable in the development architecture.
“We must guarantee that resilience and sustainable development is inclusive; we cannot achieve global environmental sustainability leaving any country or any community behind.”
Talia pointed to Tuvalu’s own exposure to climate change, biodiversity loss, and land degradation, saying the country experiences the interconnected realities of those crises firsthand.
“The Global Environment Facility, through its LDCF and STAR mechanisms, provides “the financial resources that generate lasting impacts on the ground” and turns commitments into action.”
Looking ahead to GEF 9, Talia said Tuvalu welcomes the new programming direction and urged the Assembly to scale up ambition.
“Let us use the framework, the strategies, and the momentum built here in Samarkand to scale up investments and ambitions to deliver scalable solutions for nature, climate, and pollution,” he said.
“Tuvalu reaffirms its steadfast commitment to continue to strengthen genuine partnership to build a resilient and sustainable planet for generations to come.
Talia thanked the Government and people of Uzbekistan and the city of Samarkand for hosting the gathering, describing the city as “a historic crossroad of culture and enduring symbol of connectivity.”
