30 June 2013: During a recent meeting of the Board of the Green Climate Fund (GCF), which took place from 25-28 June 2013, in Songdo, Republic of Korea, the Board selected by consensus Hela Cheikhrouhou (Tunisia) as its first Executive Director, to lead the independent Secretariat of the Fund. Other aspects for the operationalization of the Fund were also considered.

The GCF Board tackled key issues to make progress in the operationalization of the Fund, one of them being the selection of the Executive Director for the Secretariat of the Fund, based in Songdo, Incheon City, Republic of Korea. Cheikhrouhou, the selected candidate, is currently Director of the Energy, Environment and Climate Change Department at the African Development Bank (AfDB). GCF Board Co-Chairs Zaheer Fakir (South Africa) and Ewen McDonald (Australia) highlighted her experience in financing for development and her leadership in promoting the growth of climate change investments.

The Board also considered issues of key relevance for setting up the GCF, including: administrative policies and procedures of the independent Secretariat; the business model framework, comprising country ownership, financial instruments and access; and the Board’s additional rules of procedure. [GCF’s Press Release on the Board’s Meeting] [GCF’s Press Release on the Selection of the Executive Director] [GCF Meeting Agenda]