The Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon (SPNL) announced that its Director General, Assad Serhal, has received an official invitation to participate as a speaker at a high-level international environmental event organized by the Global Environment Facility (GEF).
The invitation, extended by GEF Interim CEO and Chairperson Claude Gascon, calls on Serhal to contribute to a panel discussion titled “Leaving No One Behind: Forging Partnerships and Advancing IP&LCs, Women and CSO Leadership,” scheduled for June 5, 2026, during the Eighth GEF Assembly in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
Taking place from May 30 to June 6, 2026, the GEF Assembly is the Facility’s highest governing body, bringing together representatives from 186 member countries, along with leaders from international organizations, civil society, Indigenous Peoples and local communities, and the private sector to address pressing global environmental challenges.
This year’s Assembly is held under the theme “The Last Sprint towards 2030: Implementing the Nature-Climate-Pollution GEF-9 Agenda,” and will feature plenary sessions, high-level roundtables, a Civil Society Forum, and a series of side events aimed at fostering collaboration and showcasing innovative environmental solutions.
Serhal’s participation underscores SPNL’s growing international presence and reflects global recognition of its pioneering work in community-based conservation, particularly through the Hima approach, as well as its commitment to inclusive, locally driven environmental governance.
This engagement also provides an important platform for Lebanon to contribute to shaping global environmental policies and advancing collective action on climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. Serhal is expected to highlight the critical role of civil society organizations in driving inclusive environmental leadership and building effective partnerships to achieve sustainable development goals by 2030.
