Role and Selection of Regional Facilitators
Two Regional Facilitators per region are selected by accredited organizations, preferably by means of an electronic nomination and voting process self-organized by accredited organizations or – upon request – by UN Environment whereby accredited organizations are asked to nominate and elect two Regional Facilitators, with attention to gender and sub-regional balance.
These candidates are asked to attend the UNEA, and to have the relevant expertise of the thematic issues to be dealt with at the upcoming session, if the theme is already known. Regional Facilitators must come from organizations accredited to UNEP and ideally be from different sub-regions to ensure a more balanced representation (Latin America and Caribbean for example or South and North Africa, or USA and Canada etc.). They normally serve a minimum two-year term – or until the next election – and participate as observers on the Major Groups Facilitating Committee. Regional Facilitators are expected to adhere to the Code of Conduct presented in UNEP’s Stakeholder Engagement Handbook.
They may use the title: “Regional Facilitators of Major Groups and Stakeholders, Name of the Region.” Regional Facilitators play a purely facilitating and expert role and have no mandate to formally represent their region or Major Groups and Stakeholders from their region. They may present agreed positions emerging from Regional Consultative Meetings as well as from other consultation mechanisms developed during their period of mandate. They are specifically selected to ensure agreed Major Groups and Stakeholders’ regional views are presented to UNEA and its subsidiary organs, as well as in other meetings that may be convened. In the absence of positions agreed among Major Groups from a specific region, Regional Facilitators are not entitled to make official statements on behalf of their region.
Regional Facilitators as of June 2021
Africa
REFACOF
Ms. Ndeye Fatou Ndiaye is an active member of the Women Major Group (WMG) working in the environmental field since 2008. She is a chemical waste manager, very passionate about gender issues. For over 15 years, Ndeye Fatou Ndiaye have been involved in impact of hazardous chemical waste/air pollution on Women and Youth. Many of her interventions in the environmental field relate making the Women/ Youth lives more secure despite many challenges. As a WMG Focal Point on UNEA-6 resolution on air quality improvement, Ndeye Fatou followed up this resolution in all contact groups and informal meetings, identified the main priorities of the WMG regarding the resolution until adoption. As the current National Coordinator for the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC), she has demonstrated exceptional leadership in fostering cross-sectoral collaborations and implementing initiatives aimed at reducing short-lived climate pollutants. This experience has equipped her with the necessary expertise to engage with diverse stakeholders, from government bodies to international partners, in advancing Africa’s environmental agenda. Her ability to navigate complex regional issues, including air quality, climate resilience, and sustainable development, will be instrumental in her role as a Regional Facilitator. Furthermore, her strong communication skills, fluency in both English and French, and familiarity with UNEP’s frameworks and goals position her as a bridge-builder between African nations and global environmental bodies. Ms. Ndiaye’s proven track record, coupled with her dedication to improving climate resilience and environmental sustainability across Africa, will enable facilitate UNEP’s work and ensure the region’s priorities are well represented on the global stage.
Catholic Youth Network for Environmental Sustainability in Africa (CYNESA)
David N. Munene is the Programs Manager at the Catholic Youth Network for Environmental Sustainability in Africa (CYNESA), a regional network that offers a platform for young people of faith in Africa to respond to the twin challenges of environmental degradation and climate change from a faith perspective through networking and advocacy, formation and awareness creation, and support for local grassroots action. He currently sits at the Board of the Southern African Faith Communities' Environment Institute (SAFCEI) and is an advisor to the UNEP Faith4Earth Youth Council. David is a YALI (Young African Leaders' Initiative) fellow and served as the first National President of Kenya's Ecosystems-based Adaptation for Food Security Assembly (EBAFOSA) Chapter. He has been involved in the UNEP and the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) processes since 2014 and continues to support the engagement and amplification of the voice of African Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and particularly that of African youth.
Asia Pacific
IBON International Foundation, Philippines
Sarojeni V. Rengam is the Executive Director of Pesticide Action Network Asia and the Pacific (PANAP), a regional network working towards the elimination of the hazards of pesticides and the promotion of sustainable agriculture. She is the Chairperson of IBON Foundation International which has ECOSOC status. She has been active in the APRCEM (Asia Pacific Regional CSO Engagement Mechanism) and the Environment working group of the APRCEM.
She was one of the founders and presently in the Steering Committee of the Asian Rural Women’s Conference and Coalition (ARWC) and is also one of the founders and is now in the Steering Committee for Asia Pacific of People’s Coalition on Food Sovereignty (PCFS). Rengam is an author of numerous books, published papers and articles on issues of women in agriculture, pesticide issues and food sovereignty including “Pesticides and YOU” which has been translated into 10 languages. She is also one of the authors of a book, “Of Rights and Poisons: Accountability of the Agrochemical Industry,” that documents the impact of pesticides in 7 countries in Asia.
Centre for Community Economics and Development Consultants Society (CECOEDECON), India
Ajay K Jha is the director of CECOEDECON (Centre for Community Economics and Development Consultants Society, India) and has more than 18 years’ experience in the development sector. A lawyer by education and training he is also associated with PAIRVI & MAUSAM (India), Asia Pacific Research Network (Manila) and Asia Pacific Regional CSOs Engagement Mechanism. He has been following and contributing to national and global issues, policies and practices on climate change, SDGs, environment sustainable agriculture and food and human rights.
Europe
European Environmental Bureau (EEB), Belgium
Patrizia has been working as an advocate for global justice at the intersection of environment, human rights and development for 15 years mainly with NGOs in Europe and Asia. As Director for Global Policies and Sustainability at the European Environmental Bureau (EEB), she leads the organisation’s work on sustainable development and follows intergovernmental processes at regional and international level. She is part of the Steering Group of SDG Watch Europe and closely follows the implementation of the SDGs in and by the EU. She supervises projects on environmental justice and fighting environmental racism, on the economic transition and on EU enlargement policies. Patrizia holds M.A. in Comparative Literature and Political Science and an LL.M in International Human Rights Law.
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Journalists for Human Rights, North-Macedonia
As founder and program director of Journalists for Human Rights, and with a strong foundation in environmental journalism, Natasha has dedicated her career to amplifying the voices advocating for a sustainable world. Her expertise extends to Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene, WASH, Environmental education, Chemicals, Forestation and Climate justice issues, where she has collaborated with diverse stakeholders towards achieving the SDGs. Her passion for environmental justice has driven her to address the intersectionality of environmental issues, recognizing the disproportionate impacts on marginalized communities. And through her work, she has fostered partnerships that bridge the gap between information dissemination and grassroots action. As a regional facilitator, she committs to empower CSOs across Europe to effectively engage on environmental challenges. By harnessing her skills in journalism, WASH, and environmental justice, she aims at catalysing collective efforts towards a more sustainable, just, and inclusive future for all.
Latin America and the Caribbean
Xiomara is a prominent Colombian environmentalist, born in Barranquilla. She is the founder and general director of the NGO Barranquilla+20, established in 2012, which focuses on climate activism and environmental education for youth and children in Colombia and other Latin American countries. This organization works on issues related to climate change, biodiversity, and water, engaging more than 7000 youth in its projects.
Xiomara also co-founded the project El Orinoco se adapta in 2014, an initiative that addresses climate change in the Orinoquía region with a gender-based approach. Additionally, she has worked with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) The government of Nariño, the Swedish government, and Colombia's National Government, on climate change, education, gender equality, and human rights policies.
Internationally, she has participated in various of the United Nations Environmental Conventions such as Climate Change, Desertification, Rio+10 & Rio+20, and Biodiversity Convention, where coordinates the Global Youth Biodiversity Network in Colombia, among other conventions. She is an ambassador for One Young World, the Rockefeller Foundation, and more. She also leads the Women for Climate Justice project, focusing on the climate leadership of young women in Colombia. Xiomara holds a degree in international relations from the Universidad del Norte, has studied climate finance at the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management, and accomplished a master’s degree in leadership and conservation at Cambridge University.
Alejandro Luque is an environmental consultant, advocate and visual communicator, currently studying Environmental Law at Universidad Espíritu Santo. He began his environmental journey at 16, focusing on regional governance, climate change impact, biodiversity challenges, and pollution solutions. He has co-founded and coordinated grassroots movements like "Compromiso Q’umir," "Movimiento de Organizaciones Ambientalistas del Ecuador" (MOAE), and "Fridays for Future Ecuador”, "Ecuador Jóven", "Siembratón & Reciclatón Ecuador", among others.
Since 2019, Alejandro has been involved with the UN system, at the local then regional level. In 2020, he started serving as the Regional LAC Facilitator for the Children and Youth Major Group. His work centres on four pillars: regional governance, youth and civil society participation, science-based environmental policies, and communication.
Alejandro's efforts focus on encouraging people, especially young people, to live more environmentally conscious lives. He also advocates for stronger environmental policies from governments to improve environmental governance and action in Latin America and the Caribbean.
North America
Prof. Medani P. Bhandari, Ph.D., is an International Program Director at the Atlantic States Legal Foundation Inc. (ASLF) in New York, USA. has a multidisciplinary background and specializes in climate resilience and adaptation. Nonprofit management, sustainable development, biodiversity conservation, inequality, etc. He is a well-known humanitarian, professor, author, editor, and co-editor of several books and authors of hundreds of scholarly papers on social and environmental sciences, a poet, essayist, environment, social activist, and so on. His field experiences span Asia, Africa, North America, Western Europe, Australia, Japan, and the Middle East. His most recent books are Green Web-II Standards and Perspectives from the IUCN (2018), 2nd Edition 2020, Getting the Climate Science Facts Right The Role of the IPCC; Reducing Inequalities Towards Sustainable Development Goals Multilevel Approach; Educational Transformation, Economic Inequality – Trends, Traps, and Trade-offs; Social Inequality as a Global Challenge; the Unbeatable Challenges of Inequality; Perspectives on Sociological Theories; Methodological Debates and Organizational Sociology; Women and Society; Social Inequality Past, Present, and Future and Live and Let Others Live, in References to Sustainability and Environment, Transforming Future-Community, Governance and Environment, Climate Change and Land Use Change Nexus, etc. In addition to his service at ASLF, he is also remotely serving as a Professor at Akamai University, USA, Sumy State University, Ukraine, and Gandaki University, Nepal. https://www.akamai.university/dr-medani-bhandari-phd.html (Prof. Bhandari is also a Lead Author for Chapter 21, COP 7, Global Environment Outlook Project of UNEP and a member of the taskforces Climate Resilience and Adaptation and Behavior and Social Sciences).
U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC)
Kelly Sheridan serves as the Vice President of Environmental Affairs at the U.S. Dairy Export Council, where she manages engagements with multilateral organizations regarding U.S. dairy’s commitment to environmental stewardship. Prior to joining in 2022, Kelly worked at Dairy Management Inc. (DMI) as the Vice President of Environmental Stewardship. During this time, she was responsible for the overall operations and project management of environmental initiatives, including the U.S. dairy industry’s pursuit of its 2050 Environmental Stewardship Goals and its Net Zero Initiative.
Kelly was the Chief of Staff to the EVP for External Affairs at Corteva Agriscience (a spinoff of the DowDuPont merger). She spent eight years with DuPont, working in a variety of roles within their government affairs department. Kelly previously worked as a U.S. Congressional aide to the House Majority Whip.
Kelly is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Sustainable Food Systems from Arizona State University with an expected completion of 2024. Kelly holds a B.S. in Government with a minor in Economics from Suffolk University in Boston, Massachusetts. She currently resides in Connecticut.
West Asia
Kuwait environment protection society
Chairperson of Kuwait Environment Protection Society (KEPS) since 2015, State of Kuwait. Holds a Bachelor of Science in 1995 from Kuwait University, majoring in Microbiology and Zoology.
Honorable Doctorate of Environmental responsibility NGOs. 2018. * Founder of Civil Emergency Management Unit at Eagle Resolve military training 2015. Secretary-General of the "Kuwait Environment Protection Society between 2010 and 2015.
Planning and Preparedness Department Director at the "GCC Emergency Center Management in the General Secretariat of the Arab Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC-EMC, 2015-2019). Head of the GCC-EMC in the General Secretariat of the Arab Cooperation Council since February (February) 2019.
Founder and Secretary General of the General Secretariat for Environment and Sustainable Development in the General Union of Arab Producers of the League of Arab States since June 2018. Board Member of Kuwait Environment Public Authority since July 2015. President of the "Gulf Network of Environmental NGOs" since July 2015. Worked within the work team of the Environmental Protection Law No. 42 of 2014 and the internal regulations.
Founder of the Follow-up Committee for the Implementation of the Environmental Protection Law in the Ministry of Electricity 2016.
Find out more about the Regional Facilitating Committee mandate in its Terms of References.
