IEU members Dr. Archi Rastogi and Aiko Ward recently participated in the GCF Regional Dialogue with East and South Asia in Colombo, Sri Lanka, contributing an evaluation perspective to discussions on country ownership and climate action. 

Hosted by the Government of Sri Lanka, the four-day Dialogue from 14 September 2026 to 17 September 2026 brought together around 150 representatives from eight countries in the region, including GCF National Designated Authorities and Accredited Entities.

As part of the Dialogue, the IEU hosted a  session focused on the GCF Evaluation Policy, with the IEU being the custodian of the Policy, and the GCF’s draft country ownership guidelines, drawing from the IEU’s evaluation of GCF’s country ownership approach that explored different dimensions of country ownership. 

The IEU side event was moderated by Ms. Aiko Ward, Principal Evaluation Officer at the IEU, with Dr. Archi Rastogi, Chief Evaluation Advisor at the IEU; Dr. Achala Abeysinghe, Director of the Department of Investment Services; and Mr. Sokleang Kim, Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, joining the panel. 

The session generated a lively discussion among the participants on evaluation responsibilities for the GCF stakeholders as well as how the application of country ownership could be strengthened including the No-Objection Letter (NOL) process necessary for GCF programming.

The broader four-day Regional Dialogue focused on accelerating climate action, improving access to climate finance, strengthening support for adaptation, enhancing regional collaboration, and translating national climate priorities into investable projects and programmes.