Dear GCF colleagues and partners around the world,
International Anti-Corruption Day is an important UN awareness day that is commemorated each year on December 9, coinciding with the anniversary of the adoption of the landmark United Nations Convention against Corruption agreement.
On this day dedicated to highlighting anti-corruption work taking place worldwide, I would like to spotlight the new accreditation framework of the GCF. Included in this framework are minimum integrity standards that we expect all our international and country partners to meet in their implementation of GCF-funded projects.
Accreditation is a fundamental part of the Green Climate Fund as a second-line institution. Through accreditation we ensure that our international and in-country partners have the capacity to design and implement GCF-funded projects that benefit the people who need it most. To support the onboarding of many more Accredited Entities in the future, the new framework will streamline and accelerate the accreditation process without compromising on core integrity standards and due diligence checks.
By means of the accreditation process, the GCF confirms that core integrity standards are met, including the existence of mechanisms to prevent and mitigate risks of prohibited practices, such as fraud, corruption, money laundering and terrorist financing, as well as a code of ethics, an active investigation function, and safeguards for whistleblowers and witnesses. This is critical to protecting GCF funds and to help the beneficiaries of GCF-funded projects.
Each year, we can see with our own eyes the damages wrought by increasing temperatures, stronger storms, and rising seas, from flooded streets to debilitating heat to the loss of food, shelter, and lives. The effects of climate change are all around us and the GCF is a critical mechanism in delivering finance to climate adaptation and mitigation projects to vulnerable regions worldwide.
But without protecting these funds, and ensuring that they are not lost to corruption, fraud, or other wrongdoing, we cannot effectively work with our accredited partners to achieve the goals of these projects.
The integrity journey also does not end once an entity passes the accreditation screening requirements. All of us – personnel at the GCF, Accredited Entities, Delivery Partners, and Executing Entities – are responsible for maintaining the standards laid out in the GCF’s integrity policies throughout the lifecycle of a project. Working collectively, we can present a strong force against corruption and deliver meaningful change on the ground.
We at the Independent Integrity Unit continue to be committed to support all Accredited Entities and GCF personnel to meet the GCF’s integrity standards. We do this through capacity building such as regional workshops and a Peer Learning Programme, where Direct Access Entities engage in monthly meetings on integrity topics, sharing their expertise and exchanging best practices.
Visit the IIU website to learn more about the GCF’s integrity policies, read about our 2026-2028 Work Programme and Budget, and how to report an integrity violation.
Thank you to all the members of the GCF community for helping to secure these integrity standards in our work, now and into the future as we continue to deliver groundbreaking climate finance projects around the world.
Sincerely,
Karen Ernst
Head of the Independent Integrity Unit, Green Climate Fund