CAC Steering Committee Members

Deputy Chair

Mina Esteghamat, Ph.D., is an environmental scientist and conservation specialist with over 15 years of experience in biodiversity governance, climate-related conservation, and participatory approaches to natural resource management. She is currently a Visiting Research Associate and Sessional Lecturer at the University of Guelph, Canada, and Managing Director of the Center for Conservation and Development of Sustainable Ecosystems (ZIPAK), an IUCN Member organization based in Iran.

She serves as an Expert Member of the IUCN Green List Expert Assessment Group (EAGL). Her work focuses on bridging science, policy, and community-led action, with particular emphasis on Indigenous-led conservation, wild food plants (WFPs), biocultural diversity, and ecosystem-based approaches to climate resilience.

Mina has led and contributed to a wide range of national and international initiatives, including biosphere reserve planning and management, protected area governance evaluations, and community-based restoration projects. She has collaborated with organizations such as IUCN, FAO, UNESCO, UNDP, and UNCCD, and has actively contributed to global conservation dialogues through international congresses, expert panels, and policy processes.

Her work combines academic research with field-based implementation, advancing integrated, practical approaches to conservation, sustainability, and climate action across diverse socio-ecological contexts.

Cathy Yitong Li is a steering committee member of the IUCN Climate Action Commission, having served as its inaugural deputy chair.

Cathy has been focusing on international climate and environmental policy, multistakeholder collaboration and civil society advocacy since her teenage years, serving advisory and governance roles across 8 UN bodies and various international coalitions, besides advising government and business leaders.

By profession, Cathy leads global climate & energy policy at BirdLife International -- the world's largest nature partnership in 119 countries. Previously, Cathy worked at the UN Climate Change High Level Champions, Deloitte, and JPMorgan.

Ms. Ana Elizabeth Tiraa is a highly respected conservation professional with more than twenty five years of experience in environmental management, biodiversity conservation, and climate related policy across the Cook Islands and the wider Pacific region. She holds a BSc in Environmental Studies from the University of the South Pacific and an MSc in Natural Resources Management from the Asian Institute of Technology, achieved with a UNEP scholarship. Her career spans government leadership, international development roles, technical advisory positions, and extensive collaboration with NGOs, communities, private sector entities, and regional intergovernmental organizations.

With deep expertise in natural resource governance, Ms. Tiraa has led or contributed to more than twenty major conservation and environmental management projects throughout the Pacific. Her work includes project design, implementation, evaluation, policy analysis, protected areas planning, fundraising, and the facilitation of community based conservation initiatives. She has authored or co authored more than fifty technical publications and reports, reflecting a long-standing commitment to evidence based conservation and the documentation of best practices for island biodiversity management.

Ms. Tiraa has held several high level leadership positions that illustrate her capacity to steer complex environmental agendas. As Director of Climate Change in the Cook Islands Office of the Prime Minister (2011–2017), she established and led the newly created Climate Change Division, coordinating national climate strategies and programs. She subsequently served as a Natural Resources Management and Climate Change Officer in the FAO Pacific Regional Office (2017–2020). Since 2020, she has served as Accredited Entity Advisor for the Cook Islands Ministry of Finance and Economic Management, supporting the development of Green Climate Fund proposals and strengthening national systems for climate financing. Her broad experience demonstrates strong capabilities in multilateral processes, institutional strengthening, and programmatic oversight at national and regional scales.

Earlier in her career, Ms. Tiraa held multiple technical roles with SPREP, the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, and BirdLife International, contributing to biodiversity frameworks, species and habitat conservation, international reporting obligations, and regional strategies for island conservation. She has supported governments across the Pacific—including Samoa, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Tuvalu, New Caledonia, and Tokelau—reflecting a strong regional presence and a proven ability to work effectively across diverse cultural and political contexts. Her skills in stakeholder engagement, negotiation, facilitation, and public communication position her as a trusted leader in Pacific conservation efforts.

Beyond her professional roles, Ms. Tiraa has made significant contributions to global conservation governance. She served as IUCN Oceania Regional Councillor (2012–2021) and as Vice President of IUCN (2016–2021), in addition to holding leadership roles within BirdLife International and participating in expert groups under IUCN’s Commission on Ecosystem Management and the World Commission on Protected Areas. Her longstanding dedication, strategic leadership, and deep regional knowledge make her an invaluable asset to any Steering Committee seeking experienced guidance, strong governance, and commitment to advancing biodiversity and climate resilience across island ecosystems.

 Daniel James Jiron is a highly distinguished public sector leader in forestry, natural resource governance, and environmental policy, with more than three decades of senior executive experience in the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the US Forest Service. His career culminated as Acting Deputy Under Secretary (and Acting Under Secretary) for Natural Resources and Environment at USDA, where he provided policy oversight of the Forest Service’s approximately 32,000 employees and an annual budget of roughly USD 5 billion. His leadership at the sub-cabinet level included major responsibilities in regulatory reform, forest governance, wildfire policy, sustainability, civil rights, and international cooperation, placing him at the center of some of the most significant natural resource challenges in the United States.

He combines this high-level executive experience with deep operational expertise across multiple scales of forest and land management. Throughout his career, he held progressively senior leadership positions including Associate Chief of the USDA Forest Service, Regional Forester for the Rocky Mountain Region, Deputy Regional Forester in California, and Forest Supervisor of the Santa Fe National Forest. In these roles, he directed complex programmes on forestry, wildfire response, recreation, watershed management, planning, litigation, and community engagement, while supervising large multidisciplinary teams and managing tens of millions of acres of public lands. His leadership during record wildfire seasons and major natural disasters further demonstrates exceptional crisis management and institutional resilience capacities.

A defining strength of Mr. Jiron profile is his ability to bridge policy, field implementation, and stakeholder diplomacy. He has extensive experience working with Indigenous Tribes, local governments, private sector actors, conservation organizations, scientific communities, and affected local populations, often in highly contested governance settings. His long record of navigating land tenure conflicts, balancing competing resource demands, and building durable partnerships across diverse constituencies gives him exceptional credibility in strategic governance and advisory roles. This is complemented by early experience in the United States Congress, where he supported legislative work on forestry, agriculture, energy, international development, and human rights.

He also brings significant international and multilateral dimensions to his leadership profile. His work has included improving forest governance, combating timber theft and illegal trade, strengthening capacity-building efforts, and supporting cooperation among countries representing a substantial share of global forest cover. He has facilitated exchanges with foresters and government officials from around the world on regulatory systems, sustainable forest management, and community-based approaches, while also advancing linkages between grassroots organizations, international NGOs, and government institutions. His fluency in Spanish and French further strengthens his effectiveness in multilingual and cross-regional settings.

He will continue bringing to the Steering Committee an exceptional combination of executive leadership, public policy expertise, operational crisis management, and international forest governance experience. His proven ability to lead large institutions, manage complex environmental challenges, engage across political and community divides, and translate policy into implementation would provide the Commission with highly valuable strategic insight, governance strength, and practical leadership on climate resilience, forests, and natural resource stewardship.

Dr. Myrna T. Semaan is a distinguished scientist and environmental leader with more than three decades of experience in biodiversity conservation, environmental policy, ecological assessment, and sustainable development. She holds a Ph.D. in Plant Sciences—Molecular Systematics and Conservation from the University of Reading (UK), followed by postdoctoral research at the University of California, Berkeley. Her career spans academic leadership, international consultancy, government advisory roles, and extensive engagement in civil society. A Fulbright Scholar and recognized plant author listed in the International Plant Names Index, Dr. Semaan is widely respected for her scientific rigor and her pioneering contributions to conservation in Lebanon and the wider Mediterranean region.

With more than 16 years of project development and management experience, Dr. Semaan has led and implemented large scale, multidisciplinary environmental projects funded by major international organizations such as UNEP, UNDP, UNESCO, the European Union, the World Bank, CI CEPF, GEF, GTZ, and IUCN. Her portfolio includes biodiversity conservation programs, protected area design and management, environmental impact assessments, rural development initiatives, ecosystem restoration, and capacity building programs for farmers, teachers, government institutions, NGOs, and local communities. Her ability to coordinate complex, multi stakeholder partnerships—spanning ministries, municipalities, academia, the private sector, industries, and civil society—has repeatedly resulted in impactful environmental interventions and long term policy influence.

Dr. Semaan has also served as a senior biodiversity expert on numerous national strategies and high level studies. Her work includes assessments for solar infrastructure development, land degradation neutrality strategies, national State of the Environment reports, feasibility studies for sustainable agriculture in drylands, and evaluations of significant infrastructure projects such as dams and wind farms. Her contributions have supported evidence based decision making at the highest levels, including the Lebanese Parliament, ministerial offices, multilateral donors, and international scientific bodies. She has authored or contributed to more than forty peer reviewed publications, major conservation books, national biodiversity assessments, management plans, and dozens of ecological surveys.

In academia, Dr. Semaan dedicated twenty years to teaching and university leadership across leading Lebanese institutions, including AUB, LAU, NDU, USEK, Haigazian, UOB, LU, and AUT. As Dean and later Chairperson of the Faculty of Applied Sciences at AUT, she designed academic programs, established research laboratories, implemented European partnered degree accreditation, and supervised a wide range of graduate and undergraduate research projects. Her governance experience includes strategic planning, curriculum design, budgeting, faculty management, institutional development, international partnerships, and representation before boards of trustees and governmental bodies.

Dr. Semaan’s civil society leadership is equally significant. She has been a central figure in the Friends of Nature NGO for more than 20 years, serving as General Secretary since 2012. Under her direction, the NGO modernized its governance structure, secured new funding streams, implemented conservation programs, and led nationwide environmental awareness and outreach campaigns. She pioneered several firsts in Lebanon, including the creation of early nature reserves, the development of conservation legislation, and innovative environmental education programs targeting women, youth, schools, and local communities. Her work has been recognized nationally and internationally, including honors as a “Pioneer Woman in Environmental Protection and Conservation.”

Oceanographer by training, I'm interested in strengthening the link between science, society and politics, particularly through the valorization of research, scientific communication, citizen science and the science-policy interface.

As a researcher, I investigated during 13 years the impact of climate change on polar marine ecosystems. In parallel, education, outreach and science--society-policy interface have always been central to my concerns. Therefore in January 2023, I joined the French Foundation for Biodiversity Research (FRB), as Head of the European and International Coordination Department. The department covers the FRB’s work on IPBES (Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services) and the CBD (Convention on Biological Diversity), and hosts the secretariat of Biodiversa (European Biodiversity Research Funding Network). We are also involved in EU funded projects aiming at strenghtening the link between scientists/experts and IPBES and CDB (CO-OP4CBD and RESPIN).

I am a member of the “climate crisis” and “education and communication” IUCN commissions. 

Andrea Carmen, Yaqui Nation, became a staff member of the International Indian Treaty Council in 1983 and its Executive Director in 1992. Andrea was IITC’s team leader for work on the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and in 1997 was one of two Indigenous representatives to formally address the UN General Assembly for the first time at the UN Earth Summit +5. In 2006, Andrea was selected as Rapporteur for the UN Expert Seminar on Indigenous Peoples’ Permanent Sovereignty over Natural Resources and their Relationship to Land”, the first Indigenous woman to serve as a Rapporteur for an UN Expert Seminar. Andrea has been an expert presenter at many UN bodies and seminars addressing a wide range of issues and in February 2019, she was selected to represent North America Indigenous Peoples on the new Facilitative Working Group for the development of the UNFCCC Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform for its first three years of operation, and in 2021 served as co-chair. She is currently a member of the IUCN Climate Crisis Commission.

Environmental Anthropologist with over 30 years of experience at the interface of biodiversity conservation, climate action and policy at national and global levels. She holds a degree in Anthropology with a specialization in ecology, as well as specializations in Geographical Landscape Analysis and Rural Surveys, and an MSc in Land Ecology and Land Evaluation.

She is the former Chair of the IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management (2017–2025) and served as Chair of the IUCN Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions (2021-2025), leading global efforts on high-integrity NbS, ecosystem restoration, and key knowledge frameworks such as the Global Ecosystem Typology and the Red List of Ecosystems.

She has held key leadership roles in climate policy, including Chair of the IUCN Climate Change Task Force (2017–2021) and member of the Steering Committee of the UNEP Adaptation Gap Report (2023–2025), She has contributed to over 60 publications and global assessments, including the Red List of Ecosystems of Colombia, whose author team received Colombia’s highest scientific recognition, the Alejandro Ángel Escobar National Award (2021).

Her career spans senior positions in the Government of Colombia (Ministry of Environment, National Geographical Institute and the Environmental authonomy of Bogota) and Conservation International, along with consulting roles for UNEP, FAO, GIZ, and multilateral development banks, contributing to major climate adaptation, restoration, and ecosystem management initiatives across Latin America.

Dr. Sunita Chaudhary is a highly accomplished expert in ecosystem services, biodiversity conservation, and climate resilience, with over fifteen years of professional experience across research, policy, and institutional capacity-building in the Hindu Kush Himalaya region and internationally. She currently serves as Ecosystem Services Specialist at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) and is a Lead Author of the IPBES Nexus Assessment, underscoring her recognized leadership at the science–policy interface. Her work focuses particularly on ecosystem interfaces, transboundary landscapes, and the resilience of mountain socioecological systems under climate change.

Her academic and technical credentials are exceptionally strong and interdisciplinary. Dr. Chaudhary holds a PhD in Geography and Planning from Macquarie University, Australia, an MSc (Honours) in Management of Protected Areas from the University of Klagenfurt, Austria, and a BSc (Honours) in Forestry from the Institute of Forestry, Nepal. She further strengthened her leadership and regional engagement skills through the Asia Pacific Leadership Program at the East-West Center and the University of Hawai‘i.

Over the course of her career, Dr. Chaudhary has combined scientific excellence with operational and institutional experience. At ICIMOD, she has led research and action-oriented initiatives on ecosystems, biodiversity, land-use change, and climate resilience, while also supporting the strengthening of local, national, and regional capacities for ecosystem assessment and monitoring. Her previous experience includes academic and research appointments at Macquarie University, as well as earlier roles in regional policy advocacy and programme coordination related to mountain development and biodiversity.

A defining strength of Dr. Chaudhary’s profile is her ability to connect robust scientific research with practical implementation and policy relevance. She has extensive experience working with governments, academic institutions, civil society organizations, and regional partners across Nepal, India, China, and international platforms, contributing to transboundary cooperation, knowledge generation, and evidence-based decision-making. This combination of scientific credibility, regional expertise, and convening capacity makes her particularly well suited for strategic advisory and governance roles.

Her professional excellence has been recognized through numerous prestigious fellowships and awards, including a Visiting Scholarship at the University of Cambridge, the Macquarie Research Excellence Scholarship, and fellowships from leading international institutions such as the East-West Center, ITTO, and WWF International. Dr. Chaudhary would bring to the Steering Committee a highly valuable blend of scientific leadership, regional perspective, institutional experience, and commitment to inclusive and impact-oriented climate action.

A seasoned advocacy, policy, and strategy professional with more than twenty years of experience advancing economic inclusion, financial access, entrepreneurship, and environmental conservation across Africa. Professional focus has centered on creating enabling policy environments, enhancing institutional responsiveness, and influencing multi sectoral systems to better serve marginalized and displaced populations. Expertise combines evidence driven advocacy, regulatory analysis, and strategy design with a demonstrated ability to translate program insights into policy action aligned with national, regional, and global development priorities.

Extensive experience in pan African policy processes has been built through leadership roles within the Centre for Youth Development Services and consulting engagements with the African Union, UNFPA, UNDP, AfDB, UNEP, and national governments. Responsibilities have included steering continent wide policy alignment with frameworks such as Agenda 2063 and the SDGs; leading multi country advocacy strategies; and facilitating high level consultations, policy dialogues, and youth validation forums. Work has also focused on embedding inclusive and equitable hiring standards, ensuring representation of underrepresented groups, and fostering institutional learning through robust monitoring, evaluation, and data driven systems.

A substantial portfolio of technical advisory work has been undertaken with UNFPA Country Offices and AU Member States, supporting policy evaluations, youth strategies, and national development planning in Botswana, Lesotho, Ghana, Uganda, Zimbabwe, South Sudan, Liberia, Malawi, and Tanzania. Contributions have included the revision of national youth policies, development of results based action plans, drafting of cabinet papers and policy briefs, and integration of gender equality, diversity, and inclusion principles into national policy frameworks. Particular attention has been given to participatory policy development, ensuring that youth voices—including those of marginalized and rural groups—inform policy direction and implementation.

Professional experience spans leadership positions in government, faith-based institutions, and regional organizations, including previous roles with the National Social Security Fund and the Commonwealth Youth Programme. Work has emphasized organizational realignment, performance management, evidence translation, and digital innovation in monitoring and evaluation systems. Sheila has managed large multi stakeholder programs, coordinated donor reporting, overseen complex budget portfolios, and led capacity building initiatives for government officials, UN agencies, and civil society partners. She has also served as chief rapporteur and technical trainer for the African Union on monitoring, evaluation, and learning.

The professional trajectory reflects a sustained commitment to strengthening policy ecosystems in support of equitable, climate conscious, and sustainable socio economic development. With broad continental experience, strong analytical capabilities, and demonstrated leadership in strategy development, stakeholder engagement, and policy influence, Sheila brings a comprehensive understanding of how to connect institutional mandates with inclusive development outcomes. She maintains full professional fluency in English and Swahili and is based in Nairobi, Kenya.

A conservation specialist with extensive experience at the interface of primary forest research, biodiversity protection, and climate policy. Through the Australian Rainforest Conservation Society, contributions are made to an international research program on primary forests led by Griffith University, working with global scientific leaders to deepen understanding of forest ecosystem dynamics and the role of ecosystem integrity and stability in climate mitigation, climate adaptation, and biodiversity outcomes. Professional focus is centered on the nexus between biodiversity and climate change and its relevance to international policy arenas, including the UNFCCC, CBD, and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Significant voluntary leadership roles include serving as Chair of Gondwanalink Ltd (GLL) and as a Board member of the Great Eastern Ranges Initiative (GER). These large scale connectivity conservation programs deliver integrated outcomes for climate mitigation, climate adaptation, and biodiversity protection and restoration. Their work is grounded in long-standing partnerships with local landholders, Indigenous communities, and regional stakeholders, embodying a community driven model of landscape restoration and ecological resilience.

GLL represents Australia’s first major connectivity conservation initiative, spanning approximately 1,000 kilometers across the south coast of Western Australia and engaging multiple local and Indigenous communities in the restoration and protection of critical ecosystems. GER covers the entire eastern seaboard of Australia, linking biodiversity hotspots and landscapes that are home to the majority of the nation’s population. Both initiatives are widely recognized for advancing ecological connectivity as a foundation for climate and biodiversity resilience.

Further governance roles include membership on the Board of the U.S.-based Partnership for Policy Integrity, contributing to global understanding of the adverse climate and biodiversity impacts associated with burning wood for power. Additional contributions are made through the steering committee of IntAct, an international science-based initiative focused on improving the outlook for the world’s primary forests, and through Board membership with Wilderness Australia. These roles reinforce a commitment to advancing evidence-based approaches to primary forest protection and high-integrity climate and biodiversity policy.

A former President of the Australian Committee for IUCN, ongoing support is provided to the Union through participation in the IUCN Task Force on Primary Forests Including Intact Forest Landscapes and membership in the World Commission on Protected Areas Climate Change Specialist Group. Experience also includes supporting Indigenous and local communities in navigating IUCN and World Heritage processes to strengthen protections for natural World Heritage Sites in Australia and Canada. Recent private-sector experience includes serving as Managing Director of Forests Alive Pty Ltd, an Australian company assisting landowners in developing projects that generate financial returns from the carbon value of protecting natural forests for their climate and biodiversity benefits.

A senior international climate finance and environmental economics professional with nearly three decades of experience working at the intersection of climate policy, biodiversity, and sustainable finance. Academic and professional foundations include early specialization in environmental economics and the integration of ecological considerations into financial and development decision making. Among the first economists recruited by IUCN in 1997, this individual helped establish the organisation’s economics and private sector engagement function, and later served as Senior Policy Advisor on Climate, Biodiversity and Trade. Work during this period contributed to mainstreaming climate and biodiversity issues into trade, development, and macroeconomic frameworks at a time when these agendas were still largely addressed in isolation.

Extensive participation in international environmental diplomacy includes attendance at most Rio Convention Conferences of the Parties (UNFCCC, CBD, and UNCCD) since 1998. This long-standing involvement has provided deep institutional memory and fluency in the political and technical evolution of climate and biodiversity processes, including finance mechanisms, nationally determined contributions, and the alignment between the Paris Agreement and the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. The individual’s career reflects continued work at the science–policy interface, with an emphasis on connecting climate ambition, biodiversity integrity, and sustainable development pathways.

Significant contributions have been made to global environmental governance through work at UNEP. This includes the design of funding mechanisms for the UN Nature based Solutions Coalition; collaboration with UN REDD leading to a UNEA resolution on Nature based Solutions; coordination of resource mobilization strategies across 51 UN agencies under the UN Environment Management Group; and co authoring the UN Decade of Ecological Restoration Action Plan, which integrated climate mitigation and adaptation within a system-wide biodiversity restoration framework. Additional impact was achieved at Global Footprint Network, where campaigns using biocapacity and ecological overshoot metrics reframed the climate–economy relationship and generated more than three billion media impressions across six continents.

Current roles include Director at Earthmind, Senior Advisor at the Global Rewilding Alliance, and Director of Climate Finance at Green Initiatives. In these capacities, work focuses on mobilising climate and biodiversity finance across diverse biomes, including GCF funded wetland restoration in South Sudan’s Sudd, biodiversity and carbon credit initiatives in Zimbabwean grasslands, and marine ecosystem regeneration programs in the Gulf of California and the Northern Pacific Coast. These efforts emphasize alignment with both the Paris Agreement and the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and demonstrate ongoing commitment to high integrity, science based environmental finance.

This professional brings a uniquely international perspective, supported by four nationalities and a base at the IUCN Conservation Centre in Gland, Switzerland. The career trajectory illustrates a consistent focus on operationalising the climate biodiversity nexus, advancing global policy coherence, and building financial mechanisms capable of supporting transformative environmental outcomes at scale.