The Inter-American Development Bank joined the GEF in May 2004 as an Executing Agency, with direct access to GEF resources. The Division of Environment, Rural Development and Disaster Risk Management at the Infrastructure and Environment Sector (INE/RND) of the IDB, has devoted efforts to introduce the Bank as a GEF Executing Agency in national-level dialogues and actively engage with national GEF focal points in identifying opportunities for IDB-GEF operations. Furthermore, an effort has been made to increase the familiarity of the Bank’s management and operational personnel to the GEF, and to assist project teams across sectors, both in country offices and in headquarters in preparing GEF operations. As a result, there has been a significant increase in the number of IDB-GEF project presented to the GEF Secretariat and in the representation of beneficiary countries across the region.