http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/business/news/20111116p2g00m0bu110000c.html

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The Japanese government said Tuesday it will field a senior Finance Ministry official as a candidate to head the Global Environmental Facility, a green fund linked to the World Bank and other international development bodies.

If elected as chief executive officer of the GEF by its governing body in June, Naoko Ishii, deputy vice minister of finance, would become the ministry's first female official to lead an international institution.

The GEF, established in 1991, provides grants to developing countries engaged in the battle against climate change and other global environmental issues. The independent organization, joined by 182 countries, has financed more than 2,700 projects, according to its website.

Ishii, 52, who joined the ministry in 1981, is a development assistance expert with experience working at the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and other organizations. She has been a deputy vice minister since last year.