Marianela ARAYA

Marianela is a biotechnology engineer, with a MSc on Biosafety in plant biotechnology.

Marianela started her career working for the private sector in industrial biotechnology and wastewater treatment in Costa Rica. After that, she started a postdoctoral fellowship at the biosafety unit of the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology working on issues such as risk assessment of living-modified organisms and capacity building, in Italy and Argentina.  Later, Marianela started her work for UNEP, based on the regional office for Latin America and the Caribbean, from where she managed a portfolio of projects on biodiversity-related areas. Currently, Ms. Araya works for the Convention on Biological Diversity, in Canada, as a program officer for Invasive Alien Species and Biodiversity and Health.  From her current position, Ms. Araya support the international negotiations on these two topics.