GLOBAL ABS CONFERENCE 2020
Speakers
#TheABSweAllNeed
Hear what world leaders, authorities of multilateral organizations, indigenous and community leaders and many other ABS actors have to say about global environmental governance, nature-based solutions and sustainable development.
David Hafashimana
International negotiator
Ecologist, Biodiversity and Biosafety senior consultant, he represented Uganda in the ABS Negotiations of the ABS Working Group and drafted the Bonn Guidelines in 2000.
Timothy Hodges
Former Co-Chair
Professor of Practice at McGill University. Former Co-Chair of the Working Group on ABS under the CBD from 2006 to 2010.
Norma Munguia
International negotiator
Former International negotiator at the CBD. Consultant on Environment and Sustainability, with more than 20 years of experience working in the natural resources, energy and sustainable development field.
Hugo Schally
EU
Head of Unit of the Multilateral environmental co-operation in DG Environment of the European Commission.
Janet Lowe
New Zealand
Former head of delegation for New Zealand during the negotiation of the Nagoya Protocol. She also Co-chaired the Intergovernmental Committee for the Nagoya Protocol (ICNP).
Lucy Mulenkei
IIFB
Executive Director of the Indigenous Information Network (IIN) and one of the co-chairs of the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity (IIFB).
Balakrishna Pisupati
Chairperson
Chairperson of Fledge, specialist in conservation and development with close to three decades of experience working in the field.
Alejandro Lago
UNDP
Manager of the UNDP-GEF Global ABS Project. He was directly involved in the negotiation of the Nagoya Protocol and since its adoption has been actively supporting its implementation globally.
Taukondjo Sem Shikongo
CBD
ABS Senior Programme Manager at the Convention on Biological Diversity. He served as Africa’s Chief Negotiator for the negotiations of the Nagoya Protocol in 2010.
Bilal Qtaishat
Jordan
Director of Nature Protection Directorate, Ministry of Environment of Jordan. National Focal Point for the CBD, Nagoya Protocol.
Claudine Ramiarison
Madagascar
Director of Research at the Information and Scientific Documentation and Technique Centre. Former National Focal Point of the CBD.
Mery Ciacci
European Commission
International Policy Officer at the European Commission, Multilateral Environmental Cooperation, focused on the implementation of the Nagoya Protocol and the development of ABS policies.
Chris Lyal
Specialist
Co-chair of the Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group on Digital Sequence Information on Genetic Resources. Biological Scientist, with a PhD in Phthirapteran classification and coevolution.
Lactitia Tshitwamulomoni
South Africa
Co-chair of the Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group on Digital Sequence Information on Genetic Resources (AHTEG). Deputy Director at the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries.
Amber Scholz
Researcher
Deputy to the Director at Leibniz Institute DSMZ, the German Collection for Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, in Braunschweig, Germany.
Christine Prat
Academic
Aix-Marseille University. Secretary of the French Expert Group on Nagoya protocol EU registry for biobanks.
V.B. Mathur
India
Chairperson, National Biodiversity Authority. Former Director of Wildlife Institute of India (2014 and 2019).
K.S. Varaprasad
India
UNDP-India Consultant and Chair, Working Group on Seed Systems of Revitalizing Rainfed Areas Network. Former Director at ICAR-Indian Institute of Oilseeds Research.
Tatsiana Lipinskaya
Belarus
Leading Research Scientist at the Scientific and Practical Centre of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus on Bioresources.
Tatsiana Zhaliaznova
Belarus
Advisor of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of Belarus. Former Research Associate at the United Institute of Informatics Problems and for the Institute of Genetics and Cytology of Belarus.
Rahul Arvind Chand
SPREP
ABS Capacity Building Officer at the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP). Former negotiator at the CBD.
Joape Ginigini
Researcher
Senior Scientific Officer at The University of the South Pacific. Award winner for the best Master of Science by thesis in 2013. He is member of the Scientific and Academic bodies and Indigenous Science Network, Association of Commonwealth Universities.
Marina Hernandez
Dominican Republic
Deputy at the Genetic Resources Department of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources. National Focal Point of the Nagoya Protocol.
Rafael Polanco Santana
Dominican Republic
Biologist, researcher and advisor at the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources.
Isabel Lopez Noriega
Legal Specialist
Policy Specialist at Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture. Expert in biodiversity law, focused on genetic resources.
Matthew Dias
SCBD
Information Management Officer at the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity. In charge of the Access and Benefit-Sharing Clearing-House (ABSCH) Mechanism.
Nhan Thi Thanh Hoang
Vietnam
Deputy Director at the Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Agency, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Vietnam.
Ana Viana
Natura
Lawyer with professional experience and specialization in Intellectual, Environmental and Sanitary Property. Responsible for the application of the law on ABS at Natura.
Heather Ducharme
Bodyshop
With more than 20 years of work experience in the sustainability field, she is Head of Sustainable Materials Procurement at Bodyshop.
José Renato de Barcellos Ferreira
Brazil
Deputy Director of the Department of Genetic Heritage at the Ministry of Environment of Brazil.
Ricard Armengol
Provital
CEO at first cosmetic ingredients supplier worldwide to achieve, in 2017, the Internationally Recognized Certificate of Compliance (IRCC) at the ABSCH for investigating a new cosmetic ingredient.
Maria Julia Oliva
UEBT
Deputy Director & Senior Coordinator for ABS and Policy at the Union for Ethical Bio Trade, where she works since 2009. Lawyer and global expert on ABS.
Markus Wyss
DSM Nutritional Products
Strain Director in the Global Regulatory Affairs. Chair of the ABS Task Force of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), since 2019.
Matthew Downham
IFPMA
Associate Director at AstraZeneca, Scientific & Technical Affairs. Vice Chair of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations CBD working group.
Q” hapaj Conde
SCBD
Associate Programme Management Officer for the Peoples and Biodiversity Unit at the CBD Secretariat. Doctorate on Juridical Sciences. He was a co-chair of the Global Indigenous Youth Caucus.
Santiago Cevallos
SENADI Ecuador
Director of the National Service on Intellectual Property Rights (Senadi). He was Ecuadorian delegate to WIPO in the Copyright Committee for 5 years.
Diana Aguavil
Governor T´sáchila Nationality of Ecuador
She is the first female governor of the Tsáchila nationality after 104 years of male administrations.
Erick Kimalat
EWC, Kenya
Chairman at the Endorois Welfare Council (EWC), a registered community-based organization of the Endorois Indigenous People living around the Lake Bogoria areas of Baringo County, Kenya.
Kavaka Mukonyi
Kenya Wildlife Service
Head Bioprospecting at Kenya Wildlife Service. He is actively involved in technology transfer on access and benefit sharing, community livelihoods and conservation linkages.
Ndiaga Sall
Enda Health, Senegal
Head of the Health Knowledge and Community Practices Department at Enda Health.
He is a founding member of the African Genetic Heritage Coalition and member of the National ABS Committee of Senegal.
Yolanda Teran
IIFB (Ecuador)
International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity. She is a specialist on Language, Literacy and Socio-Cultural Studies of indigenous peoples.
Edith Bastidas
RMIB-LAC
Network of Indigenous Women for Biodiversity – Latin America, Colombia’s focal point. She a specialist on Constitutional and Parliamentary law and has served in different responsibilities related to indigenous peoples.
Jessica-Jane Lavelle
Voices for Bio justice
She is a researcher with the National Research Foundation SARChI Chair in Social and Environmental Dimensions of the Bioeconomy at the University of Cape Town, South Africa.
Jazzy Rasolojaona
Natural Justice
Programme Manager at the francophone Hub of Natural Justice. He mainly works on ABS, TK protection and governance of natural resources and community land rights.
Claudia Valeria Sánchez Flores
RITA Biodiversity, Mexico
Director of Biodiversity and BCP at RITA Biodiversity, Mexico. She is specialized in conservation of biocultural heritage, Environment interpretation for Tourism, and is an active member of the FIIB.
Jillian Campbell
Convention on Biological Diversity
She has more than ten years on analyzing data to build capacities and support countries.
Kent Nnadozie
Secretary
Over the last decade, Mr Nnadozie has worked on legal and policy matters and intergovernmental processes, with FAO and the Int. Treaty.
Andreas Drews
ABS Initiative
He guided the transformation of the Africa-focused ABS Initiative into a multi-donor platform with long-term funding for ABS capacity development in the African, Caribbean, and Pacific regions.
Carlos Manuel Rodríguez
GEF
Pioneer in the development of Payment for Ecosystem Services initiatives and strategies for forest restoration, ocean conservation, and de-carbonization. Expert on environmental policy.
Santiago Carrizosa
UNDP
He has more than 25 years of experience in project management and advising to multiple countries and international organizations in areas of environmental policy and biodiversity conservation.
Jennifer Corpuz Tauli
IIFB
She is the former coordinator of the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights and Policy Advocacy Program of Tebtebba – Indigenous Peoples’ International Center for Policy Research and Education.
HRH, Princess Basma bint Ali of Jordan
Jordan
Chairperson of the national committee for biodiversity and the founder of the Royal Botanical Garden of Jordan and is one of the champions of ABS and biodiversity conservation in the region.
