Change of Management at the UNEP/AEWA Secretariat

Bonn, 1 November 2013- Marco Barbieri completed his interim assignment as Acting Executive Secretary of the UNEP/AEWA Secretariat as of 18 October 2013. He left the Secretariat to take up new challenges at the UNEP/CMS Secretariat after leading the UNEP/AEWA Secretariat on an interim basis for over 2,5 years.

In his letter to AEWA National Focal Points, Mr. Barbieri expressed his gratitude to AEWA Parties, cooperating organisations and the staff of the UNEP/AEWA Secretariat. “I was truly impressed by the level of engagement and commitment of AEWA Parties, which is without a doubt a key element of the success of the Agreement. My gratitude also goes to the many individuals and representatives of the various organizations for their commitment and participation in AEWA-related activities, through which they provide a fundamental contribution to the implementation and further development of the Agreement.”

Until the appointment of the new AEWA Executive Secretary has been finalized, Mr. Bert Lenten will cover executive functions at the UNEP/AEWA Secretariat. Mr Lenten, who is currently Deputy Executive Secretary of the UNEP/CMS Secretariat, fulfilled the role of Executive Secretary of the UNEP/AEWA Secretariat from 1996 to 2011.