The GEF IEO participated in a panel discussion on mainstreaming biodiversity at the 14th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP14). The session titled "At the coalface: Costa Rica and South Africa reflect on their biodiversity mainstreaming journey" was held on November 21, 2018. The panelists included:

Dr. Juha I Uitto, Director of the Independent Evaluation Office of the GEF, was a guest lecturer at the University of Tsukuba MBA-IB in Japan on Wednesday, November 21, 2018. Uitto talked about Evaluating Global Environmental Benefits:Lessons from the GEF. The presentation focused on the design, conduct, and main conclusions and lessons of the Sixth Comprehensive Evaluation of the GEF, as well as the role and influence of an independent evaluation in a large funding partnership like the GEF.

Carlo Carugi, Senior Evaluation Officer of the GEF IEO, participated at the 2018 American Evaluation Association (AEA) Conference in a panel session (#1816) on Lessons from applying Rapid Impact Evaluation.

The GEF Independent Evaluation Office presented the International Waters (IW) Focal Area Study 2016 at the GEF Biennial International Waters Conference (IWC) held in Marrakesh, Morocco from 5-8 November 2018. The IWC brought together about 300 participants - compromising GEF IW project managers, representatives of beneficiary countries, non-governmental organizations, transboundary management institutions, UN Agencies and the private sector.

The GEF IEO participated in the 13^th Biennial Conference of the European Evaluation Society (EES) held in Thessaloniki, Greece, on October 1-5, 2018. The theme of the conference was on Evaluation for More Resilient Societies ( www.ees2018.eu).