UNOPS to host Global Fund for Coral Reefs Secretariat, strengthening delivery for reefs and coastal communities
The world’s leading coral reef investment platform strengthens its operational foundation through a new hosting arrangement with UNOPS, enhancing efficiency and capacity for delivery at scale.
GENEVA, 1 October 2026 – The Global Fund for Coral Reefs (GFCR) today announced that the Secretariat of its trust fund will be hosted by the UNOPS, marking an important step in strengthening the Fund’s efficiency and capacity to deliver for coral reefs and the communities and economies that depend on them.
Under the new arrangement, UNOPS, who currently host 17 specialised organisations to support multilateral action, will provide the Secretariat with a robust operational platform and streamlined services across human resources, procurement, and financial management. This will enable the Secretariat to focus its efforts where they matter most: mobilising finance, strengthening portfolio delivery and scaling reef-positive businesses and financial solutions globally.
Launched in 2020, GFCR is a UN-backed coalition that mobilises public, philanthropic and private finance to safeguard the world’s most climate-resilient coral reefs. Its blended finance approach brings together grants, technical assistance, concessional finance, risk-sharing instruments and commercial investment to address barriers across the investment cycle—from developing early-stage pipelines to scaling proven reef-positive solutions.
GFCR has established a portfolio spanning 22 countries and a network of more than 300 public, private and conservation partners. As of early 2026, it has supported more than 150 reef-positive businesses and financing mechanisms, strengthened conservation management across nearly 2 million hectares of coral reef ecosystems and helped establish sustainable finance mechanisms supporting 19.5 million hectares of marine protected areas. Its programmes have delivered resilience benefits to 5.8 million people, including through sustainable livelihoods and improved food security.
The new hosting partnership brings together GFCR’s growing global investment platform with UNOPS’ expertise in helping complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives operate efficiently and deliver at scale. As a leading UN partner for implementation and hosted partnerships, UNOPS provides the systems, services and operational support that global initiatives need while enabling their governing bodies to retain strategic direction and oversight.
“Coral reefs sustain lives, livelihoods and economies, particularly across Small Island Developing States and vulnerable coastal communities. The Global Fund for Coral Reefs is translating ambition into finance and finance into action. UNOPS is delighted to provide the operational platform that will help the Fund move faster, scale delivery and remain focused on achieving results for our reefs across the globe and the communities that depend on them.”
- Jorge Moreira da Silva, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and UNOPS Executive Director
“Coral reefs sustain lives, livelihoods and economies, particularly across Small Island Developing States and vulnerable coastal communities. The Global Fund for Coral Reefs is translating ambition into finance and finance into action. UNOPS is delighted to provide the operational platform that will help the Fund move faster, scale delivery and remain focused on achieving results for our reefs across the globe and the communities that depend on them.”
- Pierre Bardoux, Director, Global Fund for Coral Reefs
GFCR’s strategy, governance and programmatic direction will continue to be led by its Executive Board. The GFCR Secretariat will continue to lead the Fund’s strategy implementation, resource mobilisation, portfolio management, governance and reporting. It will also continue to guide integrated work on monitoring and evaluation, communications, and knowledge management and learning in partnership with UNEP and UNDP.
GFCR also extends its appreciation to the United Nations Capital Development Fund for its early Secretariat hosting role and supporting the Fund’s development and growth since its establishment.
Through its Strategic Plan 2025–2030, GFCR is moving from demonstration toward accelerated investment, replication and impact at scale. Its 2030 ambitions include supporting more than 400 reef-positive businesses and financial mechanisms, delivering resilience benefits to more than 20 million people and improving the management of 3 million hectares of coral reef ecosystems—representing approximately 12.5 per cent of the world’s coral reefs.
About the Global Fund for Coral Reefs
The Global Fund for Coral Reefs (GFCR) is the world’s leading investment platform dedicated to coral reefs. A UN-backed public-private coalition, GFCR applies blended and innovative finance approaches to mobilise capital to protect the world’s most climate-resilient coral reefs while strengthening the communities and economies that depend on them. Operating across 22 coral nations, GFCR brings together governments, UN agencies, financial institutions, philanthropies, impact investors, conservation organisations and civil society to develop and scale reef-positive businesses and sustainable finance solutions. By 2030, GFCR aims to support at least 400 reef-positive business and finance solutions, improve the management of 3 million hectares of climate-resilient coral reefs—representing more than 10 per cent of the world’s coral reefs—and strengthen the resilience of 20 million people.
Dive deeper atwww.globalfundcoralreefs.org and follow GFCR onLinkedIn for the latest #ForCoral updates.
About UNOPS
UNOPS offers practical solutions across peace and security, humanitarian and
development operations. We help the United Nations, governments and other partners to manage projects, and deliver sustainable infrastructure and procurement across the world. Read more: www.unops.org
Communications contacts
GFCR: Karishma Thethy, karishma.thethy@un.org
UNOPS: hosting@unops.org
