Djibouti: UNDP signs financial agreements for 17 environmental NGOs

The United Nations Development Programme has renewed its support for the Republic of Djibouti's sustainable development policy by allocating funding to 17 environmental NGOs. The United Nations coordinator in Djibouti, Fatima Al Sheik, said the programme aims to strengthen the capacity of non-governmental actors and communities to integrate environmental issues into local development efforts. The new support is part of the Global Environment Facility Microfinance Programme (GEF/MFP), a financial mechanism that aims to find local solutions to global environmental problems. Funded by the Global Environment Facility and implemented by UNDP, the GEF/GMP is currently operational in 122 countries. At the end of its fourth operational phase in 2010, the programme had supported more than 14,000 community projects.