The Green Climate Fund is expanding its readiness programme into the Africa and Middle East region with a three-day workshop being held from 6 to 8 September at the Library of Alexandria in Egypt.

The GCF Africa and Middle East Workshop — the fourth meeting of its kind held by the Fund this year — aims to increase understanding of GCF processes among the National Designated Authorities (NDAs) and focal points of the region and create a platform for the exchange of best practices between them.

Some of the subject areas being covered at the workshop include developing readiness requests, engaging public and private sector actors and civil society in climate action projects, and accessing the Fund resources for impactful projects and programmes.

NDAs and Focal Points participating in the workshop will share their experience with their peers and provide ideas for the Fund to address the needs of their countries, including those expressed in their national adaptation plans (NAPs) and intended nationally determined contributions (INDCs) — the meeting agenda is available here.

Regional workshops are one essential activity under the GCF’s Readiness and Preparatory Support Programme that provides grants to countries to strengthen their capacities to access and manage the Fund resources. GCF launched this practice in early 2015 to provide countries and partners with up-to-date information and establish a network of NDAs and focal points.

The Africa and Middle East Workshop follows three workshops held earlier this year in Central America, Asia, and the Pacific regions.

The next GCF workshops will be convened in early October in Belize for Caribbean nations and in Quito for South American countries.