UNEP shops for new head to lead the Convention on Biological Diversity

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has recently launched the process to appoint a new Executive Secretary to the Convention of Biological Diversity, to succeed Braulio Dias, who comes to the end of his mandate in February 2017.

The Convention on Biological Diversity came into force in 1993. It has set out a shared long term target: to end the loss of biodiversity and enhance the benefits it provides to people by 2020. The Convention is the key international instrument to address the increasing deterioration of habitats of all types, including forests, grasslands, wetlands and river systems, which continue to be fragmented and degraded; and to tackle a multitude of anthropogenic factors that are leading to continued loss of biodiversity.

This is a crucial decade for biodiversity conservation and it requires strong coalitions of ambition amongst countries that share common, pressing environmental issues. And this is an exciting opportunity for the right individual to build on the reputation of the Convention, to bring additional vision and impetus to its future strategic direction, represent CBD to its parties and reach out to key constituencies.

The closing date for applications is 8th September 2016.