Ms. Susana Perera Valderrama has been serving as the Marine Biodiversity Programme Officer at the UNEP Cartagena Convention Secretariat since June 2023. In this role, she coordinates the implementation of the Protocol on Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife (SPAW) throughout the Wider Caribbean Region. A Cuban national, Ms. Perera Valderrama brings over 20 years of experience in national and regional initiatives focused on the conservation and monitoring of marine species and ecosystems and the design and implementation of marine protected areas.
She holds a Bachelor's degree in Biology from the University of Havana, Cuba, a Master’s degree in Marine Ecology from the Center of Marine Research, University of Havana, Cuba and a PhD in Ecology and Sustainable Development from El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Mexico.
Prior to her position at the Secretariat, Ms. Perera Valderrama was a specialist in marine protected areas at the National Centre for Protected Areas in Cuba, where she played a pivotal role in the design and implementation of the country’s MPAs. She also served as Cuba’s technical focal point for the SPAW Protocol. Additionally, her expertise includes working as a marine biodiversity monitoring specialist at CONABIO in Mexico, where she coordinated marine biodiversity monitoring programs within Mexico’s MPAs.
