SPEAKERS
 
 

	Professor Dietrich Kappeler, President, DiploFoundation   Professor Dietrich Kappeler served as Director of the Diplomatic Studies Programme of the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva from 1993 to 1998. He was the Founding Director of the Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies at the University of Malta, 1990-1993. Professor Kappeler has extensive experience in diplomacy and international relations, and lectures and writes on international law, diplomatic and consular law, law of international institutions, human rights and humanitarian law, diplomacy, and constitutional and administrative law of Switzerland. He is the President of the Board of Directors of DiploFoundation.
	Dr. Jovan Kurbalija, Executive Director, DiploFoundation Online Toolkit for Climate Change Diplomacy » Abstract | » Presentation Dr. Jovan Kurbalija is the Founding Director of DiploFoundation. He is a former diplomat with a professional and academic background in international law, diplomacy and information technology. In 1992 he established the Unit for IT and Diplomacy at the Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies in Malta. In 2003, after more than 10 years of successful work in training, research and publishing, the Unit evolved into DiploFoundation. Dr Kurbalija currently directs online learning courses on ICT and diplomacy and lectures in academic and training institutions in Switzerland, the United States, Austria, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Malta. His main areas of research are diplomacy and the development of an international Internet regime, the use of hypertext in diplomacy, online negotiations and diplomatic law.
	The Hon. Dr. Michael Frendo, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Malta Michael Frendo has been a Member of the House of Representatives of Malta since 1987 and Minister of Foreign Affairs since the 3rd July 2004, having served as Parliamentary Secretary (Minister of State) in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs between March and July 2004.  Dr. Frendo has held various offices in past Governments including as Minister for Transport, Communications and Technology (1994-1996)with responsibility for civil aviation, airports, ports, arterial road construction, science and technology, land transport, shipping, telecommunications and information technology; Minister for Youth and Arts (1992-1994), with responsibility for the Broadcasting, the Arts, Theatre, Sport and Youth; and Parliamentary Secretary (Minister of State) for Youth, Culture and Consumer Protection (1990-1992). In 1995 Michael Frendo served as President of  Eurocontrol.
	HE Amb. Michael Zammit Cutajar, Vice Chair of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the UNFCCC  Distinguishing characteristics of the Climate Change Process » Abstract | » Presentation Michael Zammit Cutajar devoted most of his career to work in and around the United Nations on international cooperation for development and environment. In 1991, he was assigned to set up the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and headed it until his retirement early in 2002, holding the rank of Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations. He led the move of that secretariat from Geneva to Bonn, Germany, in 1996. Since retiring from the service of the United Nations, Mr. Zammit Cutajar has continued to participate in the international dialogue among governments - and between them and the business community - on climate change and the “carbon market”. As Chairperson of its independent advisory group, he helped launch the World Bank’s Community Development Carbon Fund, which promotes investment in emission-saving development projects in poor communities in developing countries (2003-2007). He is currently a member of the High-Level Advisory Group on Energy and Climate Change convened by the President of the European Commission. Mr. Zammit Cutajar advises the Government of Malta pro bono on international environmental issues, representing it as ambassador in international negotiations on climate change. In this capacity, he chaired the Ad Hoc Working Group on further commitments for Annex I Parties under the Kyoto Protocol (2006).  He is now part of the leadership team for the negotiation of a new multilateral accord on climate change; this negotiation was mandated in December 2007 under the “Bali Action Plan” and should be completed in 2009. It will be conducted by the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the UNFCCC, of which Mr. Zammit Cutajar has been elected as Vice-Chair for 2008 on the understanding that he will be the Chair in 2009.
	Mr. Aubrey Meyer, Global Commons Institute Contraction and Convergence - The Proportionate Response to Climate Change  » Abstract | » Presentation | » Animation Aubrey Meyer is acknowledged as one of the world’s leading climate strategists. For his 20 years of climate-activism at the UN in developing and communicating a global response to climate change, he has received the Andrew Lees Memorial Award, the Schumacher Award, the City of London Lifetime Achievement Award, the UNEP FI Civil Society Leadership Award; and a recent edition of the New Statesman listed him as, “one of the ten people in the world most likely to affect it.” A Fellow of the Findhorn Foundation, he was an inspirational speaker at the Royal Institute of British Architects’ [RIBA] 2006 Conference on Climate Change in Venice and was made an honorary fellow of RIBA in response.
	Mr. Aldo Matteuci, Senior Fellow, DiploFoundation  Climate Change and Multidisciplinary Training » Abstract | » Presentation   Mr. Aldo Matteucci graduated from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETHZ) in Agriculture, and from Berkeley in Agricultural Economics. He spent three years in East Africa doing research on land use, then in Maryland, working on rural development. In 1977 he joined the Swiss Federal Office of Economic Affairs. He was Deputy Director of the EUREKA Secretariat in Brussels, and from 1994 to 2000, Deputy Secretary General of EFTA. He obtained early retirement upon leaving EFTA.
	Dr. Ilan Kelman, Centre for International Climate and Environmental Research  Learning Lessons From Disaster Management Diplomacy » Abstract | » Presentation   Ilan Kelman’s research relates to two main areas: disaster diplomacy, that is, how disaster-related activities do and do not reduce political conflict.; and island vulnerability, the building of safe and healthy communities on islands and other isolated areas. He has examined how and why people die in disasters; ensuring safe schools worldwide; and improving refugee settlements and shelter. Applying science to achieve policy influence and practical outcomes has always been a significant component of all his research. Ilan’s Master’s thesis was on managing volcanic eruptions on islands and his PhD dissertation was on building collapse during floods in England. He has lived and worked in Barbados, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, the U.K., and the U.S.A.
	Mr. Andre Stochniol, Director and Founder, International Maritime Emissions Reduction Scheme (IMERS) Case Study for Innovation in Climate Change Diplomacy » Abstract | » Presentation   Mr. Andre Stochniol is an independent Director who decided in 2006 to dedicate his business and academic experiences to tackling climate change. During 2007 he created and secured initial multi-lateral support for an innovative International Maritime Emission Reduction Scheme (IMERS). Its goal is to halve the impact of shipping emissions while simultaneously providing $billions of contributory funding for adaptation to climate change in developing countries. His successful management consulting and academic careers have spanned 27 years. They include among others leading edge computational research in several countries, consulting and lecturing at various universities, running a software company, and providing advisory services to multinational companies. During his 10 years at CSC, one of the worlds' leading providers of technology services, he directed cross-functional teams in strategic consulting, establishing new ventures, and delivering business transformation to global clients in a variety of industries.
	Dr. Simone Borg, University of Malta Diplomatic Effort in the Generation of International Law » Abstract | » Presentation   Dr. Simone Borg read for her doctorate degree in Laws at the Faculty of Laws at the University of Malta. She served as First Secretary with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and later headed the Legal and Multilateral Affairs Department at the Ministry for the Environment. In 2004 she set up her own legal consultancy firm to work freelance. Dr. Borg is a lecturer in Environmental Law, International Law and a regular speaker at various Conferences and a member in the IUCN Academy of Environmental Law as well as the IUCN Commission of Environmental Law.   Dr Borg has been involved with climate change issues since 1991 when she presented her doctorate thesis on the Maltese initiative on Climate Change. She was later Malta’s delegate throughout the climate change negotiations from 1991 till 2000. She was responsible for the drafting of Malta’s National Plan for Climate Change is currently working on gap analysis issues on a new phase of the same project.
	Mr. Martin Galea, President, Federation of Industry Climate Change: A Business Perspective » Abstract | » Presentation   Martin Galea is the president of the federation of Industry and has worked much of his life in the manufacturing and services sector. A chartered accountant by profession he has been involved at first hand in the restructuring of industry to compete in a liberalised economy on the accession of Malta to the EU both as a Council member of the federation as well as in his own company.He is a Council member of the Malta Council of Economic and Social Development and also sits on the Board of Malta Enterprise. He is a long time Council member of Din L-Art Helwa and is currently its Executive President.
	Professor Charles Sammut, University of Malta Malta’s Communication to the UNFCC  » Abstract | » Presentation   Charles Sammut holds a Bachelor Degree in education from the University of Malta and a First Class Honours BSc in physics from the University of Bath, UK, where he was awarded the British Aerospace Prize for Physics. He joined the University of Malta in 1987 and, thanks to the award of a Commonwealth Academic Staff Scholarship at Bath University, he obtained a PhD in physics in 1992 and received the Deryck Chesterman Medal for outstanding research. He is a Certified Scientist and a Certified Physicist on the UK register, a member of the Institute of Physics, a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and a member of the International Federation for Medical and Biological Engineering. He currently has research interests in medical applications of microwaves, exposure and dosimetry of non-ionising electromagnetic fields and associated health risk assessment. He has served as advisor to the Malta Standards Authority and the Malta Communications Authority. He also has strong interests in scientific and policy aspects of climate change and its effects on society. He serves as advisor to the Malta Environmental Protection Agency and to the Ministry for Rural Affairs and the Environment. Since 2000, he has been National Project Manager of Malta’s UNFCCC Enabling Activities. Funded by the Global Environment Facility through the UN Development Programme, the main task of this project was to produce Malta’s First National Communication to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (of which he is the lead author). He has led a second phase focused on technology needs for greenhouse gas reduction and adaptation to climate change. He is presently Project Manager of the Second National Communication project. This project is ongoing.
	Mr. Martin Scicluna, National Commission for Sustainable Development Malta’s Sustainable Development Plan » Abstract | » Presentation   Martin Scicluna is a member of the Council of Europa Nostra and of the Board of the International National Trusts Organisation (INTO ).He is the Vice President of Din l-Art Helwa. He was the Executive President of Din l-Art Helwa from 2001 to 2005. He is also currently the Adviser to the government of Malta on illegal immigration. He is the Director General of Malta’s first independent public policy think tank, The Today Public Policy Institute. He retired to Malta in 1996 at the end of a career spent first in the British Army and then for 23 years as a civil servant in the Ministry of Defence in London serving in various policy secretariat appointments before being appointed as the Assistant Under Secretary for Army Personnel matters. He was subsequently Adviser to two Prime Ministers of Malta on defence policy matters until 1999. He was educated at St Edward’s College, at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst ( 1954/55 ), at the Army Staff College, Camberley ( 1964/65 ) and at the Royal College of Defence Studies, London( 1989 ).
	Mr. Leonardo Massai, Researcher, EU Environmental Law, T.M.C. Asser Instituut European Union Internal and External Diplomacy in Climate Negotiations  » Abstract | » Presentation   Leonardo Massai studied international relations at the University of Florence (Italy) and the Queen’s University of Belfast (Northern Ireland). He holds a Master’s degree in Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency and Decentralization from the University of Milan (Italy) and he is currently finishing his Ph.D. in law at the University of Frankfurt (Germany) with a dissertation on “The EC Compliance with the Kyoto Protocol and the role of the new EU Member States.” He has lectured on institutional and substantive European law and international and European environmental law at a number of European universities and has acted as consultant in the field of European and international environmental law, notably on the issue of the Kyoto Protocol and its flexible mechanisms. He is editor of the European Environmental Law website and associate editor of the Carbon and Climate Law Review.
	Mr. Paul Mifsud, Coordinator – UNEP – Mediterranean Action Plan Mediterranean Perspective on Climate Change Diplomacy » Abstract | » Presentation   Mr. Paul Mifsud, from Malta, is the Coordinator of the Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP) of UNEP. A former Permanent Secretary in the Maltese public service, Mr. Mifsud held several headship positions including Director of Information (1982-1988), Airport Manager (1988-1991), Chief Executive Officer of the Mediterranean Conference Centre (1991-1996), Director General Courts of Justice (1996-1998). In 1997 he was the Head of the Press Office attached to the Euro-Mediterranean Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Malta. During Malta’s EU accession process, Mr. Mifsud headed the Environment Ministry’s delegation for discussions with the European Commission on the harmonization of legislation with the EU Environmental Acquis.  Mr. Mifsud participated also in a number of Euro-Mediterranean meetings and seminars on environmental matters. In May 2002, he chaired the technical meeting in Malta in preparation of the Second Euro-Mediterranean Environment Ministers’ Meeting (Athens, August 2001). Between 1990 and 1994 Mr. Mifsud studied Diplomacy and Politics at the University of Malta.
	Ms. Anna Kaplina, Project Manager, United Nations Development Programme Carbon Finance Capacity Building in South-Eastern Europe and the CIS » Abstract | » Presentation   Anna Kaplina works for United Nations Development Programme in the Bratislava Regional Centre for Europe and the CIS. She is the Project Manager for the Regional Kyoto Protocol Capacity Building Programme for Europe and CIS. Anna works specifically in the field of Climate Change and Carbon Finance. The work also entails an advisory role towards the extensive UNDP Country Office network and governmental institutions, whereby she provides advice on project identification, design and development. Anna has a Masters degree from the European Postgraduate Course in Environmental Management, a Master’s degree in Environmental Science and Policy from the Central European University in Budapest, and a specialist degree in geography from Moscow State University.
	Dr. Claude Heimo, DEEF-Switzerland Climate Change and Multidisciplinary Training » Abstract | » Presentation   Claude R. Heimo is an experienced senior manager with extensive experience in the various aspects of natural resource management, environmental conservation, and economic development, including nine years with the World Bank/GEF in Washington and ten years with the FAO Investment Centre in Rome. In 1998, he took an environmental economic policy adviser position in China to develop the capacity of senior government officials, professionals, and local leaders in the use of market-based and trade instruments and institutional mechanisms to promote sustainable economic development and environmental conservation. In Switzerland in 2001, he founded EEF-Switzerland, a Swiss partnership venture specialized in the use of high-resolution Earth observation satellites for environmental conservation, natural resource management and security. Since then, he has worked with several consortiums and international development institutions on various aspects of environmental conservation, land management, agriculture, and food security programs sponsored by the European Space Agency. His experience in environmental management has recently been complemented by his development of MSc-level education courses on Green Diplomacy and accompanying lectures at the Geneva School of Diplomacy as well as on China’s Sustainable Development Challenges at the Geographic Institute of Bern University.
	Prof. Dna. Maria St. Catherine Sharpe, Royal American Institute on Monaco  Professional Development Training for Climate Change Diplomacy and Intelligence Leadership Excellence » Abstract | » Presentation Dna. Maria St. Catherine Sharpe, Amb. du Christ (Oxon.) is a former U.S. Intelligence Officer, a specialist in Vatican Diplomacy and an Oxford-trained Ecclesiastical Diplomatic Scholar who currently serves as the President of the Royal American Institute for the Study of Monaco, Monegasque Society, European Heritage, Catholic Culture, Governance, History, Law, Diplomatic and Environmental Affairs (“The Monaco Institute”), and as Director of the Institute’s Environmental Diplomatic Affairs Initiatives. Dna. Maria St. Catherine Sharpe will commence a post-graduate course in Climate Change Diplomacy at Harvard University in February 2008.
	Dr. Alex Sceberras Trigona, Senior Fellow, DiploFoundation  Capacity building for Small Island States » Abstract | » Presentation   Dr Alex Sceberras Trigona has been organising courses simulating international negotiations—bilateral and multilateral—at the Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies, University of Malta, since 1991. Dr Trigona served as Malta's minister of foreign affairs from 1981-1987. He negotiated Malta's Neutrality Agreements. He lobbied for, won and managed Malta's first ever seat on the United Nations Security Council for 1983-1984. His law doctorate was awarded on the basis of a seminal thesis "Constitutional Change and the Maltese Constitution." Fundamental constitutional changes in 1974 followed this thesis in both manner and substance.
	Mr. Shane Tomlinson, E3G, Third Generation Environmentalism Ltd Developing Country Capacity Building: Ensuring the Effective Negotiation and Implementation of a Global Climate Deal » Abstract | » Presentation Shane Tomlinson leads E3G’s work on Systems for Change and contributes to work on New Foreign Policy. He joined E3G in August 2006. Shane has a BSc in Economics and Economic History from the University of Bristol, an MSc in Economic History from the London School of Economics and an MPA from Princeton University. His studies also included an internship with the Georgian Ministry of Economy advising on privatization issues, and a microfinance project in India to develop country risk profiles for potential investors. Prior to joining E3G, Shane worked in the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit in the Cabinet Office. He provided policy advice and analysis on a number of strategic areas including global health issues, energy policy, and resource productivity. During the 2002 World Summit for Sustainable Development, he was part of the team that developed and launched the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative and also acted as a negotiator on sustainable production and consumption issues.

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