Talk:Global Environment Facility
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Editor at IP 81.* seems to have a grudge against the World Bank, IMF and, by factually incorrect extension, the GEF -- as presented in this article. Hence the article as of 2004-05-06 does not reflect a NPOV. The version which pre-dates this person's edit of 2003-12-08 DOES appear to reflect a NPOV. I vote to revert!
The entirely uncritical description of the GEF as it originally appeared was almost certainly posted by someone deeply supportive of, or most likely paid by, the institution itself. Given widespread international ignorance and/or unease about the GEF, the original version was in no sense neutral - if such a position is even possible about an organisation with instructions to conserve global nature from inside the offices of one of nature's biggest despoilers.
I vote to maintain the additions, and if possible to add more diverse perspectives - ideally procuring them from outside 'the world of books and computers' (as a forest dweller of my aquaintance put it) i.e. from where real world environmental action, not to mention destruction, takes place. Thanks.
The Global Environment Facility is NOT run from within the World Bank -- it is an organizationally distinct entity, as much as the UN is NOT "run from within the United States" by virtue of having its headquarters located in the US. The GEF is an organizationally separate entity from the World Bank, which is one (of many) of its partners. Hence, NPOV removed by the politically-charged editor resulted in factual inconsistencies. That the commentor above admits that the current version (as this author suspects that the above commentor had revised it circa 2003-12-08) is no longer an "entirely uncritical description of the GEF" is clearly an admission that subsequent updates have resulted in modification of NPOV. Author of subsequent edits clearly had an [understandable] axe to grind regarding the paltry amount of global funding going towards global environmental protection. While this stance is admirable, distorting facts in order to make one's case via what is supposed to be a NPOV article on a subject is NOT admirable. It is, in fact, ignorant vandalism. Article should revert to previous (pre- 2003-12-08) version.
The original version was indeed adapted from the GEF's own Web site. It was not, however, an opinion piece. The current version IS an opinion piece with clearly charged language which is not appropriate for a NPOV article. Take the opinion piece to the New York Times, leave Wikipedia as a concensus-based NPOV reference. Please revert.
"The Global Environment Facility is NOT run from within the World Bank"
Hmmm. Tricky one, this. GEF has always had to be presented to the world as an entity separate from the World Bank, because so many people in the global South and social/environmental justice movements know exactly what the World Bank is about, and will therefore never trust a GEF that is closely connected with it. However, at the same time, GEF would never have received the level of political support and funding it has from Western governments if it were not under the aegis of the World Bank, thus persuading the rich countries' treasuries that any money they give for global green aid will be managed 'responsibly' through the influence of an institution they can control.
In which context, the facts are as follows.
The GEF's secretariat is physically based inside the offices of the World Bank. GEF secretariat staff are paid by the World Bank (at Bank standard, very lucrative, rates). They even have World Bank e-mail addresses.
However, it might still be reasonable to claim that
"The GEF is an organizationally separate entity from the World Bank"
IF the GEF Council was not legally situated within the Bretton Woods framework.
But then, if it were a legally separate and independent, democratically controlled body, the GEF might not have won so many of its battles with UN bodies (for example the Convention on Biological Diversity) over what exactly should, and should not, be funded with GEF cash for global environmental protection. Because as a World Bank lawyer told me, it is precisely because the GEF is legally part of the Bretton Woods system (est. 1944) that it cannot effectively be challenged by an agency legally hosted within the United Nations system (established after the second world war). And this is what ensured that the GEF got the 'little' money it has (actually billions), rather than UNEP or any other, UN based global institution for international environmental conservation.
"Author of subsequent edits clearly had an [understandable] axe to grind regarding the paltry amount of global funding going towards global environmental protection."
Not really. It may be a common complaint of the big NGOs who seek money and influence through the GEF, but I am not from that community, and (perhaps as a result) I don't think throwing money at problems like mass poverty, environmental degradation etc will do much to solve the situation until or unless their root causes - greed, structural inequality, cultivated ignorance etc - are tackled.
Maybe THIS is an opinion of mine, reflecting a particular political perspective. But if so, isn't it also a matter of opinion whether the GEF website can present anything like a neutral point of view when it is written and created by people whose current livelihood is dependent on the survival of the GEF...???