The biodiversity focal area study under OPS6 examines GEF’s support for access and benefit sharing (ABS) under the Nagoya Protocol and its efforts to combat illegal wildlife trade (IWT) through the Global Wildlife Program.

Using terminal evaluation reviews, desk analyses, and portfolio studies, it assesses the design, relevance, and early results of GEF support between 2015 and 2018.

On ABS, the study finds that GEF accelerated ratification and early implementation of the Protocol and helped countries build capacity to identify genetic resources and represent communities in negotiations. However, project designs were often overloaded, technical expertise was limited, and gender commitments were not consistently tracked.

On IWT, the Global Wildlife Program tackles poaching, trafficking, and demand through 20 projects, but geographic and species coverage remain narrow, national allocations dominate financing, and corruption is insufficiently addressed. While the umbrella program provides coordination and economies of scale, it must demonstrate more clearly how joint approaches add value beyond individual projects.

The report recommends strengthening sustainability planning, investing in specialist capacity, tailoring projects to national contexts, scaling up IWT engagement, and reinforcing monitoring and anticorruption measures.