Executive Secretary

Dr. Donald Leon Cooper
Executive Secretary of the Stockholm Convention,
Co-Executive Secretary of the Rotterdam Convention

In November 2007 Donald Cooper took up his appointment as the new Executive Secretary of the Stockholm Convention and Co-Executive Secretary of the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade.

Starting in 1984, Mr. Cooper was Manager of the Environmental Monitoring and Risk Assessment Department and Chief Public Analyst of The Department of Environmental Health in the Bahamas.

From 1992 to 2000, as Director of the Environmental Health Department, he managed key environmental assessment, Health, Food and Water Quality, and Compliance Monitoring Programmes advising the Bahamas

Government on development projects, Environmental Impact Assessments, developing the national actions for the implementation of Multilateral Environment Agreements and acting as the Chief Negotiator for the Bahamas at International Environmental Meetings.

From 2000 to 2007, Mr. Cooper served as Undersecretary in The Office of The Prime Minister and The Ministry of Health and Environment managing the Bahamas Environment Science and Technology Commission (BEST).

Mr. Cooper was educated in Biochemistry and Genetics at Newcastle University and obtained a PhD in Microbiology at Leeds University, England.

Mr. Donald Cooper

Contact Details

Secretariat of the Stockholm Convention

United Nations Environment Programme
International Environment House I
11-13 Chemin des Anemones
1219 Chatelaine, Geneva, Switzerland
Telephone: +41 22 917 87 29
Facsimile: +41 22 917 80 98
E-mail: ssc@pops.int
www.pops.int

The Stockholm Convention Secretariat     

The Secretariat of the Stockholm Convention, which was established under Article 20, performs functions specified in the Convention or determined by the Conference of the Parties including making arrangements and providing services for meetings, facilitation of assistance to Parties on request on the implementation of the Convention, preparation of reports, administration and coordination with other secretariats.

Secretariat Staff     

 

Ms. Jacqueline Alvarez
Programme Officer

Ms. Alvarez joined the Stockholm Convention Secretariat on March 2011 as officer in charge of the POPRC and New POPs Team, CSD, waste issues, and oversight for Safe Planet activities. She started her work with UNEP in 2009 as Regional Focal Point for Chemicals and Waste in Latin America and the Caribbean region. 

Prior to joining UNEP, Ms. Alvarez worked for the Ministry of Environment of Uruguay for 15 years, serving as responsible for the Hazardous Substances Department, and as Director of Basel and Stockholm Regional Centers. Jacqueline represented the GRULAC region in the synergies Ad Hoc Joint Working Group and SAICM. She was also expert member of the POPRC where she served as Vice-Chair. Mrs. Alvarez holds a bachelor degree in chemistry and a degree in pharmacy.
Melisa Lim 

Ms. Melisa Lim
Programme Officer

Melisa is responsible for the management and coordination of activities related to newly listed POPs. She joined the Secretariat in December 2010.
Hamoudi Shubber 

Mr. Hamoudi Shubber
Programme Officer

Hamoudi joined the Secretariat in December 2010. His work focuses on financial resources for the implementations of the Convention, including the provision of capacity assistance to Parties and the development of partnerships.

Cherryl André de la Porte 

Ms. Cherryl André de la Porte
Information/Knowledge Programme Officer

Cherryl supports the activities of the Secretariat related to the delivery of technical assistance (in particular workshops, webinars and publications). She joined the Secretariat in March 2010.

She is French-Dutch and has a background in environmental economics and sociology. She previously worked on issues of corporate social responsibility, integrated water resources management (topic of her PhD), sustainable consumption and local Agendas 21.
Ana Priceputu 

Ms. Ana Priceputu
Programme Officer

Ana joined the Secretariat in March 2010 as Programme Officer. She works on the Global Monitoring Plan for Persistent Organic Pollutants, as well as on issues related to climate change and POPs and unintentional POPs.
Gamini Manuweera 

Mr. Gamini Manuweera
Programme Officer

Gamini joined the Secretariat in August, 2009. His area of work is related to DDT with special focus on establishing a Global Alliance on the development and deployment of alternative products, methods and strategies to DDT in disease vector control.

Gamini is a Sri Lankan, with a background of ecotoxicological chemistry and has years of experience in management of pesticides under the conditions of developing countries with involvements in international initiatives on sound management of pesticides.

 
Frank Moser 

Mr. Frank Moser
Programme Officer

Frank joined the Secretariat in June 2009 as Programme Officer. His main responsibilities include the facilitation of access of Parties to financial resources under the Convention and the area of needs assessment. He is also responsible for the establishment of new partnerships.

 
Marylene Beau 

Ms. Marylene Beau
Programme Officer

Marylene supports the activities of the Secretariat related to the delivery of technical assistance through the organisation of workshops, projects, webinars, and online training. She joined the Secretariat in September 2008.

She holds a Masters degree in Business Administration with a specialisation in Environmental Management. Before joining the Secretariat, she worked in the UN Training Institute supporting large capacity-building projects in developing countries and countries with economies in transition to assist them in implementing chemicals and wastes-related MEAs.

 

Mr. Suman Sharma
Program Officer

Suman joined the Secretariat of Stockholm Convention on 12th January 2007 as a Program Officer. His main responsibility includes assisting Secretariat in coordinating the activities of Stockholm Convention Regional and Subregional Centres for technical assistance and technology transfer to the eligible Parties.

Ms. Andrea Warmuth
Associate Programme Officer

Andrea joined the Secretariat at the beginning of 2008 as Associate Programme Officer. She works on the implementation of the PCBs Elimination Network (PEN), as well as other activities related to PCBs. Andrea also supports the synergies process between the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions.

Mrs. Philomena Joseph
Research Assistant

Philomena joined the Secretariat at the beginning of 2008 as Research Assistant on POPs. She also supports the Administration.

Mrs. Helena Hall
Personal Assistant to the Executive Secretary

Helena jointed the Joint Secretariat of the Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions in December 2006 as Personal Assistant to the Executive Secretary. She provides support to the Executive Secretary in variety of administrative areas related to the office procedures, coordinates and organizes the work of the Office of the Executive Secretary, including planning, monitoring, follow-up, as well as responding to staff members’ inquiries and needs. She coordinates multiple and diverse work processes in the Secretariat, ensuring professionalism and high quality performance standards through promotion of teamwork and “best practices” in the two Secretariats.

Ms. Kei Ohno
Programme Officer

Kei is responsible for the management of scientific and technical activites of the Secretariat including support to the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee (POPRC). The Committee is a subsidiary body to the Stockholm Convention established for the purpose of reviewing proposals for listing a new chemical in Annex A, B, and/or C of the Convention.

Ms. María Cristina Cárdenas-Fischer
Policy Advisor

María Cristina joined the Stockholm Convention Secretariat on 1st January 2006 as Policy Advisor. Her main responsibilities are in the areas of technical assistance and the financial mechanism.

Mrs. Katarína Magulová
Programme Officer

Katarína joined the Secretariat on 24th of May 2006 as Programme Officer. She is responsible for the global monitoring plan for persistent organic pollutants under effectiveness evaluation of the Convention, as well as for issues related to unintentional production of persistent organic pollutants.

Mr. David Ogden
Coordinator

David served as the coordinator of the negotiations of the Stockholm Convention from 1997 to 2001. Since the adoption of the Convention in May 2001, he has served as the coordinator of the Secretariat. He is responsible for the overall coordination of meetings of the Conference of the Parties and heads up the policy and capacity assistance unit of the Secretariat.

Joint Conventions Services Staff     

 

Mr. Julien Hortoneda
Clearing House Mechanism Officer

Julien joined the Stockholm Convention Secretariat in February 2011 assuming responsibility for the Information Clearing House Mechanism. He is an information management specialist and project manager with a strong technical experience in designing and implementing web based information systems.
Michael Stanley-Jones 

Mr. Michael Stanley-Jones
Public Information Officer

Michael Stanley-Jones joined the secretariat in December 2009 to serve as press liaison for the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions. He currently leads the conventions’ public awareness and outreach team. Prior to joining UNEP, Michael served as Environmental Information Management Officer with UN Economic Commission for Europe.

Amélie Malika Taoufiq-Cailliau 

Ms. Amélie Malika Taoufiq-Cailliau
Legal Officer

In July 2009, Ms. Taoufiq took up her appointment as Legal Officer of the Stockholm and the Rotterdam Conventions.

Prior to joining the United Nations, she has acquired significant international legal experience in the private sector - working for the legal department of a biotech company and law firms based in Geneva, Paris, Brussels and Santiago de Chile - as well as around and within international organisations such as the European Commission of the European Union and the World Trade Organization.

Ms. Taoufiq, who was educated in the UK and France, qualified as a lawyer in 2001 and was called to the Paris Bar Court of Appeals in 2002. She holds a Masters degree in International Law from the University of Paris I-Sorbonne and a Masters degree in Intellectual Property from the University of Paris II-Assas.

She is fluent in French (mother tongue), English and Spanish, and has a good working knowledge of German.

 		 

Mr. Le Gong
Information System Assistant

Born in China and educated in Switzerland, Le joined the Secretariat of Stockholm Convention in July 2008 as an Information System Assistant. His main responsibility is to assist in the development and maintenance of Stockholm Convention Information Systems.

 

Mr. Anthony Driessen
IT consultant

Anthony joined the Stockholm Convention in January 2007. He contributes to the design and implementation of the Clearing House Mechanism.

Mr. Peter Rossiter
Administrative Assistant 

Supporting the two conventions in the areas of finance, budget, human resources, procurement and other general admin functions.

Mrs. Stephanie Cadet
Programme Assistant

She provides assistance to the technical team by performing administrative tasks for the capacity building and technical program, organizing workshops and meeting and arranging official travel for participants, experts and staff. Stéphanie joined UNEP Chemicals in August 1999 and the Secretariat in December 2006.

Mrs. Susanne Bengtsson
Administrative Officer for Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions

Started working in UNEP Geneva in mid-November 2007.
Supporting the two conventions in the areas of finance, budget, human resources, procurement and other general admin functions.

Mrs. Jane L. Savala
Administrative Assistant

Jane joined UNEP Rotterdam & Stockholm Convention Secretariat on May 2005. Her functions include Human Resources Management and General Administration.

Jane has worked for UNEP since 6 January 1992.

Mrs. Irina Kossenko

Irina joined UNEP Chemicals (IRPTC at that time) in September 1992. She provided support to the Stockholm Convention negotiation process and has been with the Secretariat from its early days. Currently, she supports the Stockholm and Rotterdam Conventions in the areas of procurement, payment, travel and other general administrative functions.

Mr. Osmany Pereira Gonzalez
Joint Services Coordinator 

Osmany supported the Convention negotiation process from its early days and joined the Secretariat on the 1st of October 2006 as Information officer. Setting up the Stockholm Convention Clearing House is one of his main resposibilities along with the management of Information technology and all information assets.
Currently he is being assigned as the coordinator of the Joint Convention Services, serving the Secretariats of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions.