Costa Rica’s Christiana Figueres has been appointed the new Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Ms Figueres, a member of the Costa Rican negotiating team since 1995, has led a distinguished career within the UN, dedicating herself to negotiating global strategies to combat climate change. For this, she received National Geographic’s Hero for the Planet award in 2001.

The appointment was made by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon. Ms. Figueres’ predecessor, Dutch diplomat Yvo de Boer, led the praise, “I have known Christiana Figueres for many years and can testify to her deep commitment and work.” A talented facilitator, published writer and noted public-speaker, Ms Figueres is aware of the scale of her new role, “I am humbled by the opportunity of the challenging task at hand” she said.

Based in Bonn, Germany, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change has 194 members and is the parent treaty of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. Ms Figueres will now oversee preparations for the next major UN Climate Change summit in Cancun (Mexico), in November.

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