Minister of Economy and Planning, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Chair of the 2021 Arab Forum for Sustainable Development

H.E. Faisal F. Al-Ibrahim is the General Supervisor of the Secretariat of the Council of Economic and Development Affairs (CEDA), and the Vice Minister of Economy and Planning. H.E. AlIbrahim is also the Secretary of the Board of Directors of the National Development Fund and sits on a number of boards and committees.

Previously, H.E. Al-Ibrahim held several key roles at the Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco), including Vice President of Aramco Development Company, Head of Mergers & Acquisitions at New Business Development, Commercial Director of the Ras AlKhair Maritime Yard Project, and Project Director of the Vela-Bahri Transaction, and more recently advised at the Ministry of Economy and Planning and the Finance Committee Secretariat at the Royal Court.

H.E. Al-Ibrahim earned his MBA from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan School of Management, and holds a BS in Economics and a BS in Accounting from the Pennsylvania State University.

Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Portugal

Francisco André was born in Leiria, Portugal, in 1976.

He holds a degree in Law by the University of Lisbon, with focus in legal-economic areas, and started his professional career as a lawyer.

Among other positions, in public offices, he was Head of Cabinet of the Secretary of State for the Presidency of the Council of Ministers (2005/2008), Counsellor at the Permanent Representation of Portugal to the European Union in Brussels (2009/2013) and Head of Cabinet of the Portuguese Prime Minister (2018/2020).

State Counsellor to the Prime Minister, Romania, as co-chairs of the 2021 Regional Forum on Sustainable Development for the UNECE Region

László BORBÉLY is a politician who has significantly contributed to the democratic development of Romanian society, both as one of the most well-known leaders of the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania and through the different high ranking functions held in the Romanian Parliament and the Romanian Government in the field of International Affairs, Environment and Sustainable Development, Regional Development and Infrastructure, which he has fulfilled with a rigorous professionalism yielding important results.

László BORBÉLY held the position of Minister of the Environment, was Minister of Regional Development Public, Works and Housing, state secretary at Ministry of Public Works and Territorial Planning, Minister Delegate at the Ministry of Transport as well as Chairman of the Foreign Policy Committee at the Romanian Chamber of Deputies. At international level, László BORBÉLY served as Chairman of the United Nations (UN) Commission on Sustainable Development, position which he has fulfilled with a rigorous professionalism, yielding important results. 

WORK EXPERIENCE

• 2017 - present: State Counsellor of the Prime Minister of Romania on the topic of Sustainable Development


• 2014-2016 Vice president of the Steering Committee of the Romanian Delegation to the Inter-Parliamentary Union


• 2015-2016 Vice president of the 12+ Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union


• 2008-2009/ 2012-2016 Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Chamber of Deputies of the Romanian Parliament


• February – April 2012: Vice-president of the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP)


• May 2011 – April 2012: Co-chair of the European Ministerial Board for Environment and Health


• November 2010 – April 2012: Member of the European Ministerial Board for Environment and Health


• May 2010 – May 2011: Chairman of CSD 19 (Commission of the United Nations on Sustainable Development)


• January 2010 - April 2012: Minister, Romanian Ministry of Environment and Forests


• April 2007– December 2008: Minister, Romanian Ministry of Development, Public Works and Housing


• December 2004 – April 2007: Minister-Delegate, Romanian Ministry of Transportation, Constructions and Tourism


• 1990-1996/ 2000-2016: Member of the Romanian Parliament, Chamber of Deputies


• 1996–2000: State Secretary, Romanian Ministry of Public Works and Regional Planning. 

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

• 2011: PhD title in economics awarded by the „Babes Bolyai University”, Cluj-Napoca for the thesis „Regional development models in Romania and the European Union”


• 1983–1984: Post Graduate Studies  – Academy of Economic Studies, Bucharest


• 1973–1977: Institute of Economic Sciences, University of Timișoara

President of Economic and Social Council

His Excellency Munir Akram was elected seventy-sixth President of the Economic and Social Council on 23 July 2020. Ambassador Akram is currently the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations in New York. Ambassador Akram assumed his position as Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations, with the rank of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, on November 1, 2019.

Ambassador Munir Akram previously served as Pakistan’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York for six years between 2002 and 2008, after serving as Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva for seven years from 1995 to 2002.

Between 1988 and 1992, Munir Akram was Pakistan’s Ambassador to the European Council, Belgium and Luxemburg.

During his term at the United Nations, Ambassador Munir Akram served twice as President of the Security Council in May 2003 and in May 2004; President of the Economic and Social Council in 2005; Chairman of the Group of 77 and China (developing countries) in 2007, and Facilitator on UN Administrative Reform in 2006.

Among the positions he held in various intergovernmental organizations were: Member of the UN Secretary General’s Advisory Board on Disarmament; Chairman of the WTO Trade Policy Review Body; President of the Conference on Disarmament (June 1996).

Ambassador Akram joined the Foreign Service of Pakistan in 1967, holding various positions in the Foreign Ministry as Additional Foreign Secretary and Director-General dealing with the United Nations.

He obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Law and a Master’s degree in Political Science from the University of Karachi. He is a prolific writer and has lectured and published several articles and papers on various strategic, political and economic issues.

In recognition of his selfless service and outstanding performance in the field of diplomacy and foreign policy, he was conferred the Award of Hilal-i-Quaid-e-Azam by the President of Pakistan.

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship of Costa Rica, and Chair of the 4th session of the Forum of the Countries of Latin America and the Caribbean on Sustainable Development

Current Position:
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship

Experience:
2019-2020     Administrative Vice Minister of Public Transportation and Strategic Management, Ministry of Public Investment and Transportation
2017             Ambassador in special mission in Indonesia, Opening Embassy of Costa Rica
2015-2019     Ambassador of Costa Rica in the Republic of Korea, Brunei Darussalam and Malaysia, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship
2014-2015     Minister Adviser, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship
2011-2013     Minister Counsellor and Consul General of Costa Rica, Embassy of Costa Rica in Japan, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship.
2007-2009     Ambassador in special mission in India and Singapore, Opening of Embassies in both countries, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship.
2002-2010     Minister Counsellor and Consul General of Costa Rica, Embassy of Costa Rica in Republic of Korea, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship
2000              Executive Director, National Traffic Security Council1998              General Director, General Directorate of Traffic Police, Minister of Public Investment and Transportation.
1998              Chief of Staff of the Minister, Minister of Public Investment and Transportation.

Academic Background:
1989              Bachelor's degree in Business Administration

Languages:     Spanish, English, Korean

Chairman of the board of the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC)

He was born on January 1, 1961.

In 1983, he graduated from Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov, majoring in Economic Cybernetics.

He began his career in 1983. From 1983 to 1991, he was a postgraduate student, worked as a junior researcher, researcher, senior researcher, head of laboratory of the Central Economics and Mathematics Institute of the USSR Academy of Sciences.

From 1991 to 1992 - First Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Economic Relations of the Russian Federation.

In 1993, he was a leading researcher, acting head of laboratory of the Central Economics and Mathematics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, served as First Deputy Minister, Minister of Foreign Economic Relations of the Russian Federation.

From 1993 to 1996 - Deputy in the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Economic Policy.

In 1996, he served as head of the Economic Security Directorate of the Office of the Security Council of the Russian Federation.

From 1996 to 1999 - head of the Information and Analytical Department of the Office of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation.

From 1999 to 2003, he was a deputy in the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, chairman and member of the State Duma Committee on Economic Policy and Entrepreneurship, member of the State Duma Committee on Credit Organizations and Financial Markets.

From 2003 to 2007 - Deputy in the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, member of the State Duma Committee on Health Protection, member of the State Duma Committee on Budget and Taxes.

From 2008 to 2012, he served as Deputy Secretary General of the EurAsEC.

From 2009 to 2012 - Executive Secretary of the Customs Union Commission.

From 2012 to 2019 - Advisor to the President of the Russian Federation.

From 2015 to the present - Head of the Department of Theory and Methodology of State and Municipal Administration, Faculty of Public Administration, Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov.

Since October 2019, he has been appointed a Member of the Board – Minister in charge of Integration and Macroeconomics of the Eurasian Economic Commission.

He is a Doctor of Economics, Professor, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

He has a number of state awards, including the medal “In memory of the 850th anniversary of Moscow” (1997), the gratitude of the President of the Russian Federation (2010), the Order of Friendship (2011), the medal of the Security Council of the Russian Federation “For merits in ensuring national security” "(2011), anniversary medal of the Security Council (2017).

Among other awards are an honorary diploma of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation (2001), gratitude from the Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation (2006), a commemorative anniversary medal “100 years since the establishment of the Russian State Duma” (2006) , 1st Class Medal “For Contribution to the Creation of the Eurasian Economic Union” (2015), gratitude from the Chairman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation (2011).

He is the author of more than 300 scientific papers, among which are the monographs “Theory of Long-Term Techno-Economic Development” (1993), “Strategy for the Advanced Development of Russia in the Context of Global Crisis” (2010), “Lessons Learned from Another Russian Revolution: Collapse of a Liberal Utopia and Chance for an “Economic Miracle”” (2011), “Ukrainian catastrophe” (2015), “Economics of the Future” (2016), “The Last World War. The US Starts and Loses” (2016), “The Battle for Leadership in the 21st Century” (2017), “Leap into the Future” (2018).

Minister of Environment, Sustainable Development and the Congo Basin, Republic of Congo, and Chair of the 7th Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development

• Née le 14 octobre 1968 à Brazzaville ;


• Etudes primaires et secondaires à Moscou et à Paris, ancienne élève de l’Institut Français de presse ;


• Journaliste, chroniqueuse et productrice à Radio Congo (1989-1992) ;


• Attachée de presse à la Présidence de la République (1992-1997) ;


• Conseillère en communication (1998-2005) ;


• Fondatrice Directrice de l’Institut Saint François d’Assise de Makabandilou internat d’éducation secondaire ;


• Ministre du Tourisme et des Loisirs du 30 avril 2016 au 22 août 2017;


• Ministre du Tourisme et de l’Environnement du 22 août 2017 au 15 mai 2021;


• Ministre de l’Environnement, du Développement Durable et du Bassin du Congo depuis le 15 mai 2021 ;


• Coordonnatrice Technique de la Commission Climat du Bassin du Congo depuis août 2017 ;


• Membre du Bureau Politique du Parti Congolais du Travail (PCT) ;


• Chevalière dans l’ordre du mérite Congolais ;


• Publication en 2015 de ‘‘Radio Congo, Chroniques Equatoriales’’ (Editions Amalthée);


• Mariée, mère de quatre enfants

Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation, Fiji, and Chair of the 8th session of the Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development

Hon. Mereseini Rakuita Vuniwaqa hails from Natewa Village in the Province of Cakaudrove, Vanua Levu.

Prior to joining politics in 2014, Hon. Vuniwaqa worked extensively in the Attorney-General's Chambers as a Government legal adviser for 13 years. She is a law graduate of the University of Tasmania, in Australia and also graduated with a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice from the Australian National University in Canberra in 1997.

During her career as a civil servant from 1998 to 2013, Hon. Vuniwaqa served in many concurrent capacities including as Chairperson of the Telecommunications Authority of Fiji, Chairperson of the National Working Group on Copyright, Chairperson of the National Anti-Money Laundering Council and also as the Permanent Secretary for Justice, Anti-corruption and Communications. She started a private legal consultancy in 2013 prior to standing for elections in 2014 where she managed to secure a parliamentary seat.

She was subsequently appointed the Minister for Lands and Mineral Resources from September 2014 until 19th September 2016 when she became the new Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation - a post she currently holds.

She currently resides in Suva with her husband, three children and a granddaughter.

President and Chairman of the Board of Directors, Afreximbank

Prof. Benedict O. Oramah is the President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the African Export – Import Bank (“Afreximbank” or the “Bank”). As the President of Afreximbank, Prof Oramah has grown the Bank significantly and improved its global appeal and relevance to the African continent. For instance, the Bank is playing a leading role in the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), which is the most significant multilateral development on the continent for decades. Prof Oramah is leading the creation and deployment of very innovative digital platforms that will boost intra-regional trade and investments by revolutionizing cross border payments and improving access to quality trade information. Under his leadership, Afreximbank is supporting the harmonization of Standards and the development of quality infrastructure across Africa as part of a wider industrialization and export development strategy. As Chair of the Board of Trustees of the African Union COVID-19 Response Fund, President Oramah is helping to coordinate grant mobilization and efficient utilization across Africa as well as coordinating the procurement and distribution of medical supplies among African countries. He is also leading other continental and private sector initiatives to scale up Africa’s health and economic response to the pandemic. As a recognition for his achievements, Prof. Oramah has received several honours and awards including his recent decoration by H.E. Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation, with the Russian State award of the Order of Friendship in 2019. Also, in 2019, he was bestowed with the “Knight of the National Order” by the Cameroonian Government and in the same year, he received an Honorary Doctor of Science Degree in Agricultural Economics from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. In 2017, Prof. Oramah was voted African Banker of the year by the African Banker Magazine.

Director, Public Policy and Internet, Telefonica S.A., Spain

Christoph Steck, Director Public Policy & Internet for Telefonica

In this role he oversees the strategy and development of Telefonica´s global
Public Policy work and defines its positions on Digital Policies, Internet and issues
related to the Digital Economy. He is Vice-chair of the Business at OECD (BIAC)
Committee on Digital Economic Policy, Vice-President of the Commission on
Digital Economy of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and also chairs
the International Affairs and Internet Governance workgroup of ETNO (European
Network Operators Association). He is a regular speaker at international
conferences and represents Telefonica at international policy organisations like
ITU, ICANN and G20/B20. He has also overseen the publications of the influential
Digital Manifesto and Digital Deal of Telefonica.

Christoph Steck studied Law and Human Rights at the Universities of Cologne,
Munich and London (UCL) and is a qualified German lawyer. He also holds a
Master of Business Administration (MBA) from IE Business School. He is
Associate Professor at the School of Human Science and Technology of IE
University in Madrid as well as Fellow of Aspen Institute Spain and Council
Member of the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR).

President and Chief Executive Officer of Elizka Relief Foundation, Ghana, Co-Chair of the Africa Regional Mechanism for Major Groups and other Stakeholders

Kofi Kankam is a product of the International Training Centre (Turin) of the International Labour Organization (ILO), Turin, Italy; where he specialized in the Management of Local Development. He is the president and chief executive officer of Elizka Relief Foundation, an NGO in Special Consultative Status with ECOSOC. Kofi is currently the West Africa Regional Organizing Partner for the UN NGO Major Group, presently represents the UN NGO Major Group within the spaces of the UNECA and also serves as the co-chair of the Africa Regional Mechanism for Major Groups and other Stakeholders. He currently serves as the convener for the Ghana CSOs SDGs Platform for the Kumasi Metropolis and National Focal Point (Ghana) - for Global Network of Civil Society Organizations for Disaster Reduction. His working experiences include serving as a consultant while working with Hydroterra Engineering for the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, under the ministry’s Inland Valley Rice Development Project from 2010 to 2012. This project was funded by African Development Bank.

President of the forum group 'Al-Jahez', Tunisia

Mr. Salaheddine Jourchi is a Tunisian thinker and scholar. He is one of the leading free media figures in Tunisia. Founding member of El Jahedh Forum, Editor-in-Chief of Al-Rai Al-Am and an expert in Islamic movements and civil society issues. Mr. Jourchi is also Coordinator of the Research and Studies Committee of the Arab NGO Network for Development. He has published many articles and studies in several international and local magazines and newspapers.

Executive Secretary of ECLAC

Ms. Bárcena assumed office as the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) on 1 July 2008. She had previously served as the Under-Secretary-General for Management at United Nations Headquarters in New York, Chef de Cabinet and Deputy Chef de Cabinet to the former Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan.​
​
Alicia Bárcena held the post of Deputy Executive Secretary and Director of ECLAC's Environment and Human Settlements Division. Prior to her time at ECLAC, Ms. Bárcena served as Co-ordinator of the Latin American and Caribbean Sustainable Development Programme of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), responsible for the Environmental Citizenship Project at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).​

Executive Secretary of ESCAP

Ms. Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana assumed the position of Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) since November 2018.

Prior to joining ESCAP, Ms. Alisjahbana was Professor of Economics at Universitas Padjadjaran in Bandung, Indonesia, a position she assumed since 2005. She joined Universitas Padjadjaran as a lecturer in 1988. She also served on the Governing Board of the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), and member of the Indonesian Academy of Sciences (Akademi Ilmu Pengetahuan Indonesia - AIPI), the Forum of Statistics Community (Forum Masyarakat Statistik or Advisory Council of the Indonesian Statistics), the International Advisory Board of the Bulletin of Indonesian Economic Studies and Council Member of the Regional Science Association International (RSAI).

From 2016 to 2018, She served as Director for the Center for Sustainable Development Goals Studies at Universitas Padjadjaran and Vice President of the Indonesian Academy of Sciences (2018). She was also Independent Commissioner (Non Executive Director) of PT Bank CIMB, Niaga, Second largest private Bank in Indonesia. She has also served as Co-chair of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation.

From 2009 - 2014, Ms. Alisjahbana was Minister of National Development Planning and the Head of the National Development Planning Agency (BAPPENAS), Indonesia. During the same period she was Alternate Governor of the World Bank and Alternate Governor of the Asian Development Bank representing the Government of Indonesia.

Ms. Alisjahbana was a member of the High Level Independent Team of Advisors in 2016 to support the ECOSOC Dialogue on the longer term positioning of the United Nations Development System in the context of the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development. She has been involved in various research projects and consultancies to the United Nations University/Institute for Advanced Study in Tokyo, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), Australia, the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), the European Commission, and the International Labour Organization (ILO).

Ms. Alisjahbana earned her Bachelor degree in Economics and Development Studies from Universitas Indonesia, Indonesia, a Masters degree in Economics from Northwestern University, USA and a Ph.D in Economics from University of Washington, USA. She was awarded the Mahaputra Adipradana Order(Bintang Mahaputra Adipradan) from the Republic of Indonesia, honorary brevet from the Indonesian Navy and honorary flight wing from the Indonesian Air Force.

General Manager, Al Etihad Bank, Jordan

Since 2008, Ms. Nadia Al Saeed has been Chief Executive Officer of Bank al Etihad. Her experience and track record of financial success has positioned Bank al Etihad as one of the most progressive banks in Jordan. Prior to this, she was Strategy Advisor at Mckinsey & Co, working on developing new growth strategies. She is also Chairwoman of Endeavor Jordan, and is on the advisory board of Women in Business Arabia. For eight consecutive years, she has been selected as one of the “Most Powerful Arab Businesswomen” (2014-2021) by Forbes Middle East. Ms. Al Saeed holds an MBA from the American University of Cairo.

Executive Secretary of UNECE, Presentation of regional dimensions

On 13 April 2017, the Secretary-General appointed Ms. Olga Algayerova of Slovakia as the next Executive Secretary of the UNECE. She took office on 1 June 2017.

Ms. Algayerova brings to the position a combination of leadership and diplomatic skills with deep knowledge of the region with its challenges and opportunities and a strong focus on building and nurturing partnerships among key stakeholders with the United Nations.

Prior to her appointment, she served as Permanent Representative of Slovakia to the International Organizations in Vienna, Austria (since 2012). She was previously President, Slovak Millennium Development Goals (2010-2012); State Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2006-2010) and Corporate Export Manager, Zentiva International, a.s. (2004-2006).

Born in 1959, Ms. Algayerova holds a Master in Contemporary Diplomacy from Malta University, a Master in Business Administration from The Open University Business School, United Kingdom and a Dipl. in Engineer of Economy from the University of Economics Business Faculty, Bratislava.

On 12 July 2017, Ms. Olga Algayerova was sworn-in by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. António Guterres.

Executive Secretary of ESCWA

Rola Dashti was appointed Executive Secretary of ESCWA in January 2019. From 2012 to 2014, she served as Minister for Planning and Development of Kuwait, and as Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs. She has also held key positions in research and development institutions, and has worked for major national and international financial and development organizations.

She won the 2010 North-South Prize of the Council of Europe with Mr. Mikhail Gorbachev. She also received the Clinton Global Citizens Award for 2009, the Vital Voices Global Leadership Award for 2006, and the King Hussein Humanitarian award for 2005.

Ms. Dashti holds a doctorate degree in population dynamics from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, a master’s degree in economics and finance from California State University in Sacramento, and a bachelor of science in agriculture economics from California State University in Chico.

Executive Secretary of ECA

Vera Songwe is the Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA). Upon her appointment, she became the first woman to lead the institution in its 60-year history.

As Executive Secretary, Songwe’s reforms have focused on “ideas for a prosperous Africa”, and have brought to the fore critical issues of macroeconomic stability, development finance, private sector growth, poverty and inequality, the digital transformation, trade and competitiveness.

She was listed as one of Africa’s 50 most powerful women by Forbes in 2020 and named as one of the ‘100 Most Influential Africans’ by Jeune Afrique in 2019. In 2017, New African Magazine listed her as one of the ‘100 Most Influential Africans’ and the FT named her one of the ’25 African to watch’ in 2015.

Prior to ECA, she held a number of senior leadership roles with the International Finance Corporation and World Bank.