All Speakers

Melanie ZURBA

CEESP Steering Committee Member/Associate Professor

IUCN Commission on Environmental, Economic, and Social Policy (CEESP)/Dalhousie University

Chair, Theme on Governance, Equity and RightsProfessor Zurba’s work focuses on projects that are developed and implemented in collaboration with communities. Professor Zurba has worked…

SETH KEN APPIAH-KUBI

National Director

A ROCHA GHANA

Profile: Dr Seth Appiah-KubiSeth is a passionate advocate for and contributor to biodiversity conservation and ecosystem management. Through his work, he has gained extensive knowledge and experience…

Hatem BEN BELGACEM

Director of Ecology and Naturals Areas

Ministry of Environment

Mr. Hatem Ben Belgacem has over 20 years of experiences of technical and administrative experience based on legal and scientific issues. Currently, he is the Director of Ecology and Naturals Areas at…

Ron VAVE

Assistant Professor

IUCN Commission on Environmental, Economic, and Social Policy 2021-2025

I'm an indigenous Fijian, interdisciplinary marine social scientist who has worked in my home country (Fiji), the Indo-Pacific as part of the Locally Managed Marine Area (LMMA) network, and in Hawai'…

Janelle LOPEZ

CSR and Engagement Senior Manager

Goumbook FZCO

Janelle is a dynamic professional spearheading Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Employee Engagement initiatives at Goumbook. Her career is marked by over 12 years of valuable working…

Malidadi LANGA

Chairman

Alliance for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities for Conservation in Africa (AICA)

Malidadi Langa holds a Masters degree in Economics and is a career development professional and decentralisation specialist whose career spans over 20 years of pro-poor rural development programming…

Orsibal Eliú RAMÌREZ CARDONA

Oficial técnico en adaptación al cambio climático y restauración del paisaje for

UICN

Orsibal Ramírez Cardona is a Forest Engineer with over 15 years of experience in integrated water resources management, forest landscape restoration, watershed management, and ecosystem-based…

Ian CONVERY

Professor of Environment & Society

IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management 2021-2025

Professor Convery has spent the last 25 years working on understanding societal interactions with, connections to, and perceptions of, the ‘natural world’. His current interests are focused on public…

Juliette PAEMELAERE

Chargée de production et gestion des connaissances BIODEV2030

Expertise France

With a multidisciplinary background in risk management in the Global South and international environmental project management, I have specialized in knowledge production and capacity-building in…

Brice Caillie

Directeur Général

Réseau de milieux naturels protégés

Brice Caillié is a geographer. He holds a bachelor's degree in geography from the Sorbonne and a master's degree in environment from the University of Paris-Est Marne-la-Vallée. Following an initial…

Faridah IBRAHIM

Head, Business Engagement Unit

IUCN Secretariat

ANDELE YAOVI

Responsable suivi & stratégie et chargé de mobilisation de ressources

ONG JVE

Holder of a Bachelor's degree in Phytosanitary Risk Analysis and Management, complemented by certified training in project management and resource mobilization, I have been working in the…

John CHEECHOO

Policy Advisor

Inuit Circumpolar Council

Munib KHANJARI

IUCN Species Survival Commission 2021-2025

Penny BECKER

Chief Executive Officer

Island Conservation

Penny joined Island Conservation in January 2020 and then became the organization's Chief Executive Officer in 2024. She has a passion for learning and practicing leadership around conservation…

Maria Juliana PEDRAZA

Associate Attorney

Interamerican Institute on Justice and Sustainability

International lawyer specialized in business, government, contract, and environmental law. She currently serves as an Associate Attorney at the Inter-American Institute for Justice and Sustainability…

Olivier BESSON

Communications Associate

GEF

Javokhir Abdukhalikov

Deputy Head of International Cooperation and Rankings Department

Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection, and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan

Javokhir Abdukhalikov is a Deputy Head of Department at the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan, working in the International Cooperation…

Wenjia JIN

Senior Programme Officer, IUCN China

IUCN Secretariat

With over ten years of professional experience in sustainable development and nature conservation, Wenjia has primarily focused on advancing the development and implementation of projects related to…

Letícia GUIMARãES

Biodiversity Lead

Vale SA

Leticia Guimarães has 20 years of experience working with biodiversity and business, in the last 15 years she had working in the mining sector managing and mitigating biodiversity risk and impacts.…

Nujoud ALHAMMADI

Head of Environmental Awareness Section

Dubai Environment and Climate Change Authority

Nujoud Alhammadi is the Head of the Environmental Awareness Section at the Dubai Environment and Climate Change Authority (DECCA). With a background in Chemical Engineering and a Master’s degree in…

Sarah FOWLER

Scientific Advisor

Save Our Seas Foundation

Forty-five years working in marine biodiversity conservation and management, particularly the conservation and management of sharks and rays, including CITES implementation, CMS, RSCAPs, and RFBs.…

Andrew MALHERBE

Facundo ODRIOZOLA

Agriculture Officer

IUCN

Policy Officer with over seven years of experience at the intersection of environmental law, governance, and public policy. Skilled in regulatory analysis, comparative research, and drafting policy…

Waleed HAMZA

Professor of Oceanography and Aquatic Ecology

United Arab Emirates University

Prof. Waleed Hamza has obtained his Ph.D. from Italy in Aquatic Ecology, in 1994. He has and is acting as principal investigator of different research projects in the field of Oceanography and…

Sean SOUTHEY

CEO

Canadian Wildlife Federation / IUCN CEC

CEO, Canadian Wildlife Federation; Chair, IUCN Commission on Education and Communication (CEC)Sean Southey has over 30 years of experience in the international development and communications field.…

Claudia Velarde Ponce de León

Abogada

AIDA

Claudia Velarde Ponce de León is a lawyer and director of AIDA's Territories Program. She holds a Master's degree in Environmental Management, specializing in Management and Conservation of Natural…

Ayman SULEIMAN

minister

ministry of Environment

Aiman A. A. Soleiman OKLAT, Ph.D.MINISTER OF ENVIRONMNET With experience over 23 years covered many topics related to Environment.