First Steering Committee for Implementation
Paragraph 6(c) of Montevideo Programme V states that the national focal points will, at their global meetings, designate a Steering Committee for Implementation, composed of two to three representatives nominated from each United Nations region, ensuring gender balance to the extent possible.
During the online session of the First Global Meeting, national focal points designated the fourteen representatives to serve on the first Steering Committee for Implementation. The modalities of work for the Steering Committee for Implementation are available as an annex to the report of the online session. You can download them here.
Mr. Mohammad Abdul Wadud Chowdhury has been serving as Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of Bangladesh since 2020. He works on international conventions relating to biodiversity, ecosystems, wetlands and chemicals. He is the official contact point for the Stockholm Convention on POPs. He holds a Master in Chemistry and a Master in Development Studies.
As the new national focal point of Bangladesh since 13 March 2022, Mr. Mohammad Abdul Wadud Chowdhury has been designated to replace Mr. Ashfaqul Islam Babool on the Steering Committee.
Bhutan, Ms. Kunzang (Rapporteur)
Ms. Kunzang has been a Legal Adviser at the National Environment Commission in Bhutan since 2007. Her achievements include Bhutan's first Water Act (2001) as well as the Waste Prevention and Management Act (2009). Under the UNFCCC, Ms. Kunzang leads the Least Developed Countries group on capacity-building. She is also a National Ozone Officer under the purview of the Montreal Protocol.
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ms. Azra Rogović-Grubić
Ms. Azra Rogović-Grubić has been a Senior Adviser for International Cooperation at the Department of Environmental Protection at Bosnia and Herzegovina's Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations since 2004. She is also a National Ozone Officer under the purview of the Montreal Protocol. Ms. Rogović-Grubić holds two Masters, one in Civil Engineering and one in State Management and Humanitarian Affairs.
Burkina Faso, Mr. Gontran Yanbèfar Some
Mr. Gontran Yanbèfar Some is the Director of Legal and Judiciaries Affairs at the Ministry of Environment, Green Economy and Climate Change of Burkina Faso. He is also a Member of the Scientific and Technical Council of the Bangr Weogo urban park in Ouagadougou.
Cambodia, Mr. Vann Monyneath
Mr. Vann Monyneath is the Deputy Secretary General of the National Council for Sustainable Development in Cambodia. He is in charge of leading the development, integration, implementation and monitoring of policies and strategies related to sustainable development. Mr. Monyneath holds a PhD in Environmental Management from Preston University.
Finland, Ms. Charlotta von Troil
Ms. Charlotta von Troil is a Senior Ministerial Adviser of Legislative Affairs at the Finnish Ministry of the Environment, where she works in matters related to international environmental law. She is the national focal point for the Aarhus Convention. Ms. von Troil holds a Master of Laws and a Master of Political Sciences.
Saint Lucia, Ms. Kate Wilson
Ms. Kate Wilson is a Legal Officer at the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Gender Relations and Sustainable Development in Saint Lucia. She is an advocate for the environment, gender issues and the rights of women and children. Ms. Wilson has served on several committees and worked with many NGOs locally. She holds a Bachelor of Laws and Arts and a Master of Laws.
Slovenia, Ms. Helena Kramar
Ms. Helena Kramar is a Legal Officer at the Slovenian Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning. She holds a Law degree and has many years experiences in preparation of national environmenal legislation.
Switzerland, Mr. Vincent Bohnenblust
Mr. Vincent Bohnenblust is a Legal Officer at the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment, where he focuses mainly on issues related to International Biodiversity Protection. He has studied Law as well as International Relations and has several professional experiences in public administration at both the national and international levels.
Uganda, Ms. Sarah Naigaga
Ms. Sarah Naigaga is a Senior Legal Officer at the Ugandan National Environment Management Authority. She acted as the Africa Coordinator for the Biodiversity Understanding in Infrastructure and Landscape Development program and has previously worked with Greenwatch, a leading environmental NGO in Uganda.
United States of America, Mr. Timothy R. Epp (Co-chair)
Mr. Timothy R. Epp is the Associate General Counsel at the US Environmental Protection Agency. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from Harvard Law School and has over 20 years of experience in the field of environmental law.
Uruguay, Mr. Marcelo J. Cousillas (Co-chair)
Mr. Marcelo J. Cousillas is the Director of Legal Affairs at the Ministry of Environment in Uruguay. He has many years of broad experience within the field of environmental law and played a key role in the negotiations leading up to the adoption of the Escazú Agreement.
Zambia, Ms. Karen Banda
Ms. Karen Banda is the Director of Legal Services as well as the Board Secretary at Zambia's Environmental Management Agency. She has previously worked as a legal and prosecutions officer at Zambia's Anti-Corruption Commission.
Previous members of the First Steering Committee for Implementation:
Bangladesh, Mr. Ashfaqul Islam Babool
Mr. Ashfaqul Islam Babool has been serving as Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in Bangladesh since 2019. He has 25 years of professional experience in policy-making and government administration. He earned his PhD in Agricultural Economics from the University of Kentucky in 2007.
Peru, Mr. Jimpson Dávila Ordoñez
Mr. Jimpson Dávila Ordoñez is an advisor to the Ministerial Office of the Ministry of the Environment of Peru, Director of Environmental Management Policies and Instruments of the Ministry of the Environment, coordinator of the Functional Unit of Environmental Crimes – UNIDA, technical secretary of the High Level Commission for the prevention and reduction of environmental crimes, and representative of the Ministry of the Environment at the Intersectoral Mechanism for the protection of Human Rights Defenders. Mr. Jimpson Dávila Ordoñez is graduated from Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos and has a master's degree in Constitutional Law from the University of Castilla - La Mancha, Spain and master's degree studies in Economics of Natural Resources and Environment at the Universidad Agraria La Molina, Peru.
Peru, Mr. Mariano Castro Sánchez-Moreno
Mr. Mariano Castro Sánchez-Moreno is the Vice Minister of Environmental Management at Peru's Ministry of Environment. He is an expert in environmental law and has over 25 years of experience in developing and managing environmental governance in Latin America. Among other previous experiences, he held the position of Vice President of the first United Nations Environmental Assembly (UNEA-1).
Slovenia, Ms. Tanja Pucelj Vidović
Ms. Tanja Pucelj Vidović, M.Sc., is a Legal Expert at the Slovenian Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning. She holds a Law degree and has previously worked at the Department of Administrative Law at the University of Ljubljana, and she has experience working with civil society organizations.
Slovenia, Ms.Nataša Petrovčič
Ms. Nataša Petrovčič is a Legal Officer at the Slovenian Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning. She holds a Master of Law and has previously worked at the Slovenian Environment Agency. As the national focal point of Slovenia from January 2022 to May 2022, Ms. Nataša Petrovčič replaced Ms. Tanja Pucelj Vidović on the Steering Committee during this period.