UN Picks Mexican Diplomat to Head Climate Office Expatica
go to original May 3, 2016

Ms. Patricia Espinosa Cantellano, Mexico's former Secretary of Foreign Affairs (2006-2012) and the Chair of COP16, spoke at UNU on 5 July 2010 on Mexico's preparations for the COP16 climate summit held in Cancún later that year. (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtjLPHCyI5V-xuumAXzAizA)

A veteran Mexican diplomat has been chosen to head the United Nations' newly upgraded climate office, UN chief Ban Ki-moon announced in a letter to France's environment minister.

Ban said he will appoint Patricia Espinosa Cantellano "as the new UNFCCC Executive Secretary for a term of three years," referring to the body which oversaw the international negotiations in December leading to a historic climate pact.

The letter, obtained by AFP, is dated April 28 and addressed to French minister Segolene Royal, whose country hosted the 195-nation climate talks.

A former foreign minister, and currently Mexico's ambassador to Germany, Espinosa made her mark in climate circles when she took the helm at the UN talks in 2010, a year after the process was nearly derailed in Copenhagen.

She will replace Christiana Figueres of Costa Rica, who held the post for six years and will step down in July.

Figueres confirmed the selection in a tweet, noting that the process of confirmation - a formality - is under way.

The mandate of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, now in its 21st year, is to slash dangerous carbon pollution and help poor countries cope with climate impacts.

Read the rest at Expatica

Related: Patricia Espinosa: Who Is the UN’s Incoming Climate Change Chief? (Climate Home)

Related: Latin America Eyes Volcanoes to Fire Up Clean Development (Reuters)

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