Secretary-General Appoints Brice Lalonde (France), Elizabeth Thompson (Barbados)

 

Executive Coordinators for United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development

 

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced today the appointments of Brice Lalonde of France and Elizabeth Thompson of Barbados as the Executive Coordinators for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development.

The General Assembly, by its resolution 64/236, decided to convene the Conference at the highest possible level, including Heads of State and Government, to secure renewed political commitment for sustainable development, assessing the progress to date and the remaining gaps in the implementation of the outcomes of the major summits on sustainable development and addressing new and emerging challenges.  The Conference will address, inter alia, the themes of a green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication and the institutional framework for sustainable development.  As Executive Coordinators, Mr. Lalonde and Ms. Thompson will support the Conference Secretary-General in overseeing the preparation and organization of the Conference and fulfilling a broad range of duties and functions.

Mr. Lalonde is currently the French Ambassador for climate change negotiations and is expected to assume his duties on 1 January 2011.  Prior to this, he served as French Minister for the Environment, Chairman of the Round Table for Sustainable Development at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and Senior Adviser for the Environment to the French Government.  In addition, he held the position of Director of the Paris office of the Institute for a European Environment Policy.  Born in 1946 in Paris, Mr. Lalonde graduated from the Sorbonne University with a degree in classics and law.

Ms. Thompson previously served as Minister for Energy and Environment of Barbados.  She also served as Minister for Physical Development and Minister for Health.  Ms. Thompson was appointed to the Barbados Senate and was a practising attorney as well as a journalist.  In addition, she was a lecturer in ecology, economy, energy and politics.  Born in 1961, Ms. Thompson graduated from the University of the West Indies and obtained an MBA, with distinction, from the University of Liverpool and a Master of Laws from Robert Gordon University, Scotland.

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