Dakar, April 15th and 16th, 2020, The ordinary session of the GGGI Senegal steering committee took place on April 15th an 16th, 2020 virtually. This session took place in the context of the COVID-19 epidemic in Senegal where restriction measures on public gatherings have been taken by the government.

It was in a health context marked by the COVID-19 epidemic in Senegal that the first ordinary session of the 2020 Steering Committee of GGGI Senegal was held on April 15 and 16, 2020. This session was held virtually to respect and promote the measure of social distancing recommended by health authorities as well as the ban on all public gatherings ordered by the President of the Republic of Senegal.

Two sessions, chaired by the Secretary General of the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development of Senegal saw a record participation of all members of the steering committee, implementing partners, as well as representatives from the Embassy of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg in Senegal and the Ministry of environment, Climate and Sustainable Development of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, as financial partners of GGGI projects in the country.

The objective of this session was to present the results and impacts for GGGI’s activities during 2019 as well as to introduce the planning for 2020 for all projects and programs executed by GGGI; within the framework of its cooperation with the Senegal Government. GGGI’s Work Program and Budget 2021-2022 process, in the context of its updated Country Planning Framework and 2030 Strategy were also presented to steering committee members.

Discussions not only made it possible to identify new collaboration opportunities but allowed to revisit ongoing initiatives and proposals of collaboration. The areas that sparked the most interest are: sanitation, renewable energy for productive use in agriculture, ecological construction, and support for access climate and green finance.

Suggestions and recommendations were collected and will be considered in GGGI’s interventions and planning processes. Members suggested for to GGGI Senegal to report on the progress of GGGI’s projects, commitments taken, and impacts to allow monitoring at the level of the sectors concerned.

On behalf of the committee members, the dean of members as well as the only female representative of this committee expressed their thanks to GGGI on behalf for this informative and consultative exercise. They reaffirmed their support and interest in collaborating with GGGI in their respective sectors.

Mr. Romain Brillié, GGGI’s Country Representative to Senegal, proposed in his closing remarks the holding of an extraordinary session of the Steering Committee during the month of June to introduce the Senegal Country Business Plan 2021-2022. He also noted that the challenge of qualitative and quantitative participation as well as that the quality of discussions had been met successfully during this very first virtual session; and thanked the GGGI Senegal team for its hard work in making this possible.