Andrea Meza Murillo is the new UNCCD Deputy Executive Secretary

UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw announced today the appointment of Andrea Meza Murillo of Costa Rica as the next Deputy Executive Secretary of UNCCD. 

Ms. Meza Murillo currently serves as Minister of Energy and Environment for the Government of Costa Rica. She brings over 20 years of expertise in sustainable development, having worked in more than 15 Latin American countries to formulate public policies, participate in international negotiations, and execute climate, conservation and restoration projects.

Previously, she has served as Director of Climate Change, Ministry of Environment and Energy of Costa Rica, as Director of the Office of Studies in Mesoamerica, Projects and Planning and as Director of the Program for Conservation of Private Lands, Center for Environmental Law and Natural Resources. She is a lawyer with a specialization in local development.

Ms. Meza Murillo has a notable history supporting the work of UNCCD, especially around the Desertification and Drought Day 2021 hosted by Costa Rica, rallying up global ambition to restore degrading lands. A champion for young people as guardians of land and its sustainable future, she also participated in a recent UNCCD webinar on land-based opportunities for youth. 

Ms. Meza Murillo will succeed Ms. Tina Birmpili of Greece, to whom the Executive Secretary expressed his sincere gratitude for her dedicated service to the secretariat and wished her success in her new role as the Chief Officer of the Secretariat of the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of Montreal Protocol.

Contact

For more information contact: Xenya Scanlon xscanlon [at] unccd.int (xscanlon[at]unccd[dot]int)
For media inquiries contact: Wagaki Wischnewski press [at] unccd.int (press[at]unccd[dot]int)

About UNCCD

The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is the only legally binding international agreement on land issues. The Convention promotes good land stewardship. Its 197 Parties aim, through partnerships, to implement the Convention and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. The end goal is to protect our land, from over-use and drought, so it can continue to provide us all with food, water and energy. By sustainably managing land and striving to achieve land degradation neutrality, now and in the future, we will reduce the impact of climate change, avoid conflict over natural resources and help communities to thrive.