Several countries -- including France and Costa Rica -- planned to launch the Coalition of Great Ambition for Nature and People, with the goal of protecting 30% of the Earth's natural spaces by 2030.
Andrea Meza, who has been director of climate change for the Costa Rican government since 2015, was appointed Tuesday as Environment Minister, replacing the outgoing Carlos Manuel Rodríguez.
The Washington-based GEF was created before the 1992 Earth Summit as a multilateral trust fund that supports environmental action in developing countries.
Environment Ministry officials are currently working on the National Wetland Inventory, a project to compile an updated list of all water sources in the country.
Government officials pledged to evaluate available options to compensate 170 alleged former gold miners who claim they were evicted from the lands that are now part of Corcovado National Park.