77th session of the Commission

Ms. Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana was appointed Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) on 13 September 2018.

Prior to joining ESCAP, Ms. Alisjahbana was Professor of Economics at Universitas Padjadjaran in Bandung, Indonesia, a position she assumed in 2005. She joined Universitas Padjadjaran as a lecturer in 1988. Since 2016, she has served as Director for the Center for Sustainable Development Goals Studies at Universitas Padjadjaran and Vice Chair of the Indonesian Academy of Sciences.

She also serves on the Governing Board of the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), and member of the Indonesian Academy of Sciences (Akademi Ilmu Pengetahuan Indonesia - AIPI), the Forum of Statistics Community (Forum Masyarakat Statistik or Advisory Council of the Indonesian Statistics), the International Advisory Board of the Bulletin of Indonesian Economic Studies and Council Member of the Regional Science Association International (RSAI).

From 2009 to 2014, she was Minister of National Development Planning and the Head of the National Development Planning Agency (BAPPENAS), Indonesia. She served as Co-chair of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation from 2012 to 2014. From 2009 to 2014, she was Alternate Governor of the World Bank and Alternate Governor of the Asian Development Bank representing the government of Indonesia. In 2016, she was a member of the High Level Independent Team of Advisors to support the ECOSOC Dialogue on the longer term positioning of the United Nations Development System in the context of the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development.

Ms. Alisjahbana has been involved in various research projects and consultancies to the United Nations University/Institute for Advanced Study in Tokyo, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), Australia, the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), the European Commission, and the International Labor Organization (ILO).

Ms. Alisjahbana earned her Bachelor degree in Economics and Development Studies from Universitas Indonesia, Indonesia, a Masters degree in Economics from Northwestern University, USA and a Ph.D in Economics from University of Washington, USA. She was awarded the Mahaputra Adipradana Order (Bintang Mahaputra Adipradana) from the Republic of Indonesia, honorary brevet from the Indonesian Navy and honorary flight wing from the Indonesian Air Force.

On 17 June 2020, the General Assembly of the United Nations elected H.E. Mr. Volkan Bozkir of Turkey as President of its seventy-fifth session, which runs from September 2020 to September 2021.

After graduating with a degree in law from Ankara University, Mr. Bozkir joined his country’s foreign service in 1972. He held several positions during his 39-year career there, including: Permanent Representative of Turkey to the European Union (EU); Ambassador to Romania; Consul General in New York; Counsellor of the Permanent Representation to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD); First Secretary of the Embassy in Iraq; and Vice Consul General in Stuttgart. He also served as the Foreign Policy Advisor to Prime Minister Turgut Özal; Chief of Cabinet and Chief Foreign Policy Advisor to Presidents Turgut Özal and Süleyman Demirel; Deputy Undersecretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs responsible for EU Affairs; Secretary General for EU Affairs.

Mr. Bozkir was elected as a Member of Parliament first in 2011 and then in the following three parliamentary elections. During his nine years in Parliament, he served as the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Chairman of the Turkey-USA Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Caucus and Co-Chairman of the Turkish-Russian Civic Forum. He also served as the Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator from 2014 until 2016. In 2018, he was elected for the fourth time as the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, during which time he chaired the Turkey-Australia Inter-parliamentary Friendship Group.

Mr. Bozkir was awarded the Order of the Star of Romania; the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic with the rank of “Knight”; and the 100th Anniversary Medal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan. He is married with two children and three granddaughters.

His Excellency Munir Akram was elected seventy-sixth President of the Economic and Social Council on 23 July 2020. Ambassador Akram is currently the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations in New York. Ambassador Akram assumed his position as Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations, with the rank of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, on November 1, 2019.

Ambassador Munir Akram previously served as Pakistan’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York for six years between 2002 and 2008, after serving as Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva for seven years from 1995 to 2002.

Between 1988 and 1992, Munir Akram was Pakistan’s Ambassador to the European Council, Belgium and Luxemburg.

During his term at the United Nations, Ambassador Munir Akram served twice as President of the Security Council in May 2003 and in May 2004; President of the Economic and Social Council in 2005; Chairman of the Group of 77 and China (developing countries) in 2007, and Facilitator on UN Administrative Reform in 2006.

Mohammad Ashraf Ghani grew up in Afghanistan before pursuing his education abroad. Like so many Afghans, foreign invasion and civil war led to the persecution of his family and forced him to remain in exile. Whilst abroad, he became a leading scholar of Political Science and Anthropology and then worked at the World Bank where he learned the tools of international development. Following the fall of the Taliban in 2001,he returned to Afghanistan to devote his unique skills and knowledge to rebuilding the country. He advised interim President Karzai and served as the Finance Minister in the Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan until December 2004.

During his tenure as Finance Minister, he designed a package of reforms and initiated several public investment programs that led to significant improvements in the livelihoods of ordinary Afghans across the country. He declined to join the newly elected Government in December 2004. However, he remained an influential voice in the political circles both in Afghanistan and abroad. He served as the chairman of the Transition Coordination Commission (TCC) in 2010 which was responsible for transferring authority from foreign to national troops. He resigned from TCC to run for president in October 2013. He was declared winner on September 22, 2014.

Ilham Aliyev was born on 24 December 1961 in Baku.

He attended a secondary school No. 6 in Baku from 1967 to 1977.

In 1977-1982, he studied at Moscow State University of International Relations (MSUIR).

In 1982, he embarked on postgraduate studies at MSUIR.

In 1985, he defended a thesis to receive a PhD degree in history.

From 1985 to 1990, he gave lectures at Moscow State University of International Relations.

In 1991-1994, he was engaged in a private business sector and headed several private industrial and commercial enterprises.

From 1994 to August 2003, he was vice-president and first vice-president of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR). He has been actively involved in the implementation of national leader Heydar Aliyev's oil strategy.

In 1995 and 2000, he was elected to the Milli Majlis (Parliament) of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

He has been president of the National Olympic Committee of Azerbaijan since 1997.

In 1999, he was elected as deputy chairman, in 2001 as first deputy chairman and in 2005 as chairman of the New Azerbaijan Party.

From 2001 to 2003, he headed the Azerbaijani Parliamentary delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

In January 2003, he was elected as deputy chairman of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and a member of the PACE Bureau.

On 4 August 2003, following the approval of the Milli Majlis, he was appointed as Prime Minister of the Republic of Azerbaijan. This terminated his power as a member of parliament.

On 15 October 2003, Ilham Aliyev was elected as President of the Republic of Azerbaijan with more than 76 percent of votes.

In 2004, he was awarded a medal and certificate of an honorary member of PACE.

On 15 October 2008, Ilham Aliyev was elected for the second term as President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, after gaining 88.73 per cent of votes.

As a result of the presidential election held on 9 October 2013, Ilham Aliyev was re-elected as President of the Republic of Azerbaijan with 84.54 per cent of votes.

In the election held on April 11, 2018, Ilham Aliyev gained 86.02 percent of votes and has been re-elected as the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Mr. Ilham Aliyev is fluent in Azerbaijani, Russian, English, French, and Turkish languages.

He is married and has three children and five grandchildren.

SHEIKH HASINA, Prime Minister of Bangladesh, was born on 28 September, 1947 at Tungipara under Gopalganj district. She is the eldest of five children of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founder of independent Bangladesh. She graduated from the University of Dhaka in 1973. She was elected Vice President of the Students Union of Government Intermediate Girl’s College. She was a member of the students League Unit of Dhaka University and Secretary of the Students League Unit of Rokeya Hall. She actively participated in all the mass movements since her student life.

Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman along with the members of his family was martyred on the fateful night of 15 August 1975. Sheikh Hasina and her younger sister Sheikh Rehana were the only survivors as they were in West Germany at that time. Later she went to the United Kingdom from where she started her movement against the autocratic rule in 1980. Sheikh Hasina was unanimously elected President of Bangladesh Awami League in 1981 in her absence, while she was forced to live in exile in New Delhi. Ending six years in exile, she returned home finally on 17 May 1981.

In the parliamentary election held in 1986, she won three seats. She was elected Leader of the Opposition. She led the historic mass movement in 1990 and announced the constitutional formula for peaceful transfer of power through Articles 51 and 56 of the Constitution. Following the election of 1991 Sheikh Hasina became Leader of the Opposition in the country’s Fifth Parliament, She steered all the political parties in the parliament towards changing the Presidential system into the Parliamentary one.

His Excellency Lotay Tshering is the Prime Minister of Bhutan since November 2018. He was the President of the Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa Party during May – November 2018. Prior to that he was the Head of the His Majesty’s Kidu Medical Unit during 2014 – 2018, Consultant Urologist at JDWNRH & Mongar Hospital during 2001 – 2013.

He received MBA from Canberra University in 2014 and had the Urology fellowship at the Winsconsin Medical College Hospital in USA & SGH, Singapore during 2007-2008. He studied general surgery at the BCPS, Dhaka University, Bangladesh (1997-2002. 

On 20 June 2015, the 38th Congress of the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) Central Committee of the fifth mandate elected Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen directly and in secret ballots as its President in replacement of the late Samdech Akka Moha Thamma Pothisal Chea Sim.

On September 23, 2013, Samdech Techo Hun Sen is re-elected by the Fifth Legislature of the National Assembly and approved by HM the King, Preah Karuna Preah Bat Sâmdech Preah Bâromneath Norodom Sihamoni, as Prime Minister for the next five-year term (2013-2018). In the 28 July 2013 general elections, the Cambodian People’s Party won a majority of 68 seats in the 123-seat National Assembly.

In July 1998, the general election brought victory to the Cambodian People’s Party, of which Hun Sen is the Vice President. He became the sole Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, leading the second coalition government of the two major parties – the CPP and FUNCINPEC – and solemnly declared his Government to be an “economy-oriented government.” Under his leadership Cambodia became the 10th member of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN).

H.E. Mr. Bainimarama has been the Fijian Prime Minister since 2007. Under his leadership, Fiji has undergone a broad program of social, economic, electoral and constitutional reforms, leading up to the establishment of Fiji’s first genuine parliamentary democracy of equal votes of equal value in 2014.

Under his leadership, Fiji was the first country to ratify the Paris Agreement. It has also offered to give permanent refuge to the people of Kiribati and Tuvalu should their countries become uninhabitable due to rising sea levels. As the incoming President of COP23, the Prime Minister has issued a worldwide call for every level of government, every section of civil society, and all businesses great and small to join him in forging a grand coalition to defend the collective agenda and increase the momentum for change, with a particular focus on climate adaptation and building resilience.

The Prime Minister was born in Suva and educated at Marist Brothers High School in the capital. He enlisted in the Royal Fiji Military Forces Naval Division as an Ordinary Seaman in 1975 and was commissioned from the ranks as an Ensign in 1977. He assumed the appointment of Chief of Staff of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces in October 1997. Later, he was appointed Commander of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces and promoted Commodore on 01 March 1999.

Ir. H. Joko Widodo is the 7th President of the Republic of Indonesia who took office since October 20, 2014. Born in Surakarta, Central Java, on June 21, 1961, Joko Widodo first entered the government as Mayor of Surakarta (Solo) on July 28, 2005 until October 1, 2012.

After that, Joko Widodo served as Governor of DKI Jakarta on October 15, 2012 before being elected as President of the Republic of Indonesia in the 2014 Presidential Election (Pilpres). During the presidential election, Joko Widodo was elected along with his running mate, Jusuf Kalla.

In the 2019 Presidential Election, Joko Widodo was re-elected as President of the Republic of Indonesia for his second term. This time, Joko Widodo was accompanied by Vice President K.H. Ma'ruf Amin and was inaugurated on October 20, 2019 for the 2019 to 2024 term.

Infrastructure development became a priority program during his first tenure. The development, which is carried out evenly to the outer regions of Indonesia, is carried out to catch up with Indonesia being left behind in this sector compared to other countries.

These priority programs are accompanied by programs in the form of social assistance such as the Smart Indonesia Card (KIP), the Healthy Indonesia Card (KIS), and the Family Hope Program (PKH). In addition, since the beginning of his term of office, Joko Widodo has also pursued agrarian reform by accelerating the issuance of land title certificates to reduce land disputes due to the absence of certificates.

In his second term of office, Joko Widodo shifted the focus of his government to building and increasing the capacity of Indonesia's human resources to be able to compete with other countries. The infrastructure development program is still being continued at the same time.

Born on December 6, 1968 in the Ken-Suu village of Issyk-Kul region. In 1991 he graduated from the Institute of Physical Culture and Sports in Frunze and in 2006 earned degree in low from the Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University named after B. Yeltsin.

2002-2005 - General Director of Nurneftegaz LLC;

2005-2007 - Deputy of the III convocation of the Jogorku Kenesh of the Kyrgyz Republic;

2007-2009 - Adviser to the President of the Kyrgyz Republic;

2008-2009 - Commissioner of the National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption;

2009–2010 - Director of the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption under the State Personnel Service of the Kyrgyz Republic;

2010–2013 - Deputy of the IV convocation of the Jogorku Kenesh of the Kyrgyz Republic;

Since October 2020 - Prime Minister of the Kyrgyz Republic, Acting President of the Kyrgyz Republic.

On January 28, 2021 H.E. Mr. Japarov was sworn as the President of the Kyrgyz Republic.

President David Kabua is the ninth President of the Republic of the Marshall Islands. President Kabua has been representing Wotho Atoll since his first appointment in 2008. In his second term, he was given the portfolio as the Minister of Health and then later as the Minister of Internal Affairs. He was appointed Minister-in-Assistance-to-the-President in his third term.

During his early years, President Kabua had worked in several Public Service positions as a teacher aid in the Headstart Program for two years, a student liaison officer, General Manager for the Marshall Islands Development Authority (MIDA) under the Ministry of Resources and Development, 1996, and four years as the Consul General in Orange Country, California.

He has an extensive background in the private sector for more than ten years as a business owner.

President Kabua was born in Majuro and is the son of the first President of the Republic of the Marshall Islands Amata Kabua and First Lady Emlain Kabua. Upon completion of his studies at Xavier High School, 1971, in Chuuk, Federated States of Micronesia, President Kabua furthered his education at Hilo College and at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Together with his wife, First Lady Ginger Shoniber Kabua, they have three children and one granddaughter.

March 3, 1963 Born in Ulaanbaatar City

1970-1978 School No. 34 of Ulaanbaatar City

1978-1982 School of Fine Arts

1982-1986 Artist at the Union of Mongolian Artists

1983-1989 Athlete of the National Team

1992-1997 Director-General, Genco LLC

1997-1998 CEO, Bayangol Hotel JSC

2000-2004 CEO, Makh Impex JSC

2004-2008 Member of Parliament, Chairman of the Sub-Committee on Human Rights

2008-2012 Member of the Cabinet, Minister for Road, Transport, Construction and Urban Development

2012-2016 Member of Parliament

2012-2014 Member of the Cabinet, Minister for Industry and Agriculture

2006 – Jul.10.2017 President of the Mongolian Judo Association

2009 – Jul.10.2017 Chairman of the Mongolian Democratic Union

2016 – Jul.10.2017 Vice President of the International Association for Mongol Studies

H.E. Mr. Imran Khan was sworn on 18 August 2018 as the 22nd Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

Mahinda Rajapaksa was the 5th President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. His election for a second term of office in the Presidential Election, held on January 26, 2010, saw the Sri Lankan electorate recognising him as the national leader who liberated the country from the terrorism of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), and set the country on the path to peace, stronger democracy and rapid economic development. The re-election of Mahinda Rajapaksa took place in the first nationwide election held after the defeat of the LTTE in May in 2009, and the first where people from all parts of the country were free to participate in elections after more than two decades.

Mahinda Rajapaksa is married to Shiranthi Wickremasinghe Rajapaksa and they have three sons: Namal, Yoshitha and Rohitha.

Emomali Rahmon was born to a peasant family on October 5, 1952 in Dangara district of the Republic of Tajikistan.

Emomali Rahmon began his labour activity in 1969 after graduation from Technical Lyceum №40 of Kalininabad city (presently Sarband) electrician at Qurghonteppa oil factory.

From 1971 to 1974 he served in the Pacific Navy Military Force. After the demobilization, he started working at the Lenin collective farm in Dangara.

Emomali Rahmon graduated from the Faculty of Economics at the Tajik National University in 1982.

From 1976 to 1987 he held posts of the secretary of direction and the Chairman of the Union Committee of the Lenin collective farm in Dangara. He later worked in party bodies.

From 1987 to 1992 he was the Chairman of the Lenin collective farm in Dangara.

In 1990, Emomali Rahmon was elected as People’s Deputy at the Supreme Council of the Republic of Tajikistan of twelfth convocation. In autumn 1992, he was elected as the Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Council of the People’s Deputies of Kulyab province.

On November 19, 1992 at the XVI session Emomali Rahmon was elected as the Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Tajikistan.

On November 6, 1994, Emomali Rahmon was elected to the post of the President of the Republic of Tajikistan by nation-wide voting.

On November 6, 1999, Emomali Rahmon was re-elected on the alternative basis and by nation-wide voting and assumed an office of the President of the Republic of Tajikistan for a seven-year term.

On November 6, 2006, at free, transparent and democratic elections, held on the alternative basis, Emomali Rahmon was elected as the President of the Republic of Tajikistan for a seven-year term by nation-wide voting for the third time.

On November 6, 2013, Emomali Rahmon, gaining 84.23% of the vote, won the regular election of the President of the Republic of Tajikistan.  

On October 11, 2020, Emomali Rahmon, having secured 90.92% of the vote, was re-elected to the post of the President of the Republic of Tajikistan.  

According to the ratified Constitutional Law of the Republic of Tajikistan "On the Founder of Peace and National Unity - Leader of the Nation", the President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon who had rendered great and unique services to the people of Tajikistan has been recognized as the Founder of Peace and National Unity - Leader of the Nation. 

He is the Hero of Tajikistan (1999).

The President is married and has nine children.

General Prayut Chan-o-cha 
Prime Minister
Name: General Prayut Chan-o-cha (Ret.)
Date of Birth: 21 March 1954, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Thailand
Spouse: Associate Professor Naraporn Chan-o-cha
Children: 2 daughters
 
Education:
1971           Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School (Class 12)
1976           Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.), Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy (Class 23)
1976           Infantry Officer Basic Course (Class 51)
1981           Infantry Officer Advanced Course (Class 34)
1985           Command and General Staff College (Class 63)
2007           National Defence College
 
Career:
1990           Battalion Commander, Second Infantry Battalion, 21stInfantry Regiment, Queen’s Guard
1998           Commanding Officer, 21st Infantry Regiment, Queen’s Guard
2003           Commanding General, 2nd Infantry Division, King’s Guard
2006           Commanding General, 1st Army Area
2008           Chief of Staff, Royal Thai Army
2009           Deputy Commander in Chief, Royal Thai Army
2010           Commander in Chief, Royal Thai Army (until 30 September 2014)
2014           Head of the National Council for Peace and Order (Until 16 July 2019)

The Honourable Kausea Natano is the Prime Minister of Tuvalu. He was sworn in as Prime Minister of Tuvalu on the 19th September 2019. Honourable Kausea Natano first became a Member of Parliament in the year 2002 and was appointed Chair of the Public Accounts Committee, then re-elected for a second term as a Member of Parliament in 2007. That year, he was appointed as the Minister for Public Utilities and Industries. In 2010, Hon. Kausea Natano was re-elected for a third term in Parliament where he was appointed as the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Communication and Transport; and Minister for Public Utilities and Industries. Hon.Kausea has served as a Politician for over 18 years. Earlier in his career, Hon.Kausea Natano served in the Customs Department and later became the Director of Customs and Inland Revenue. He also served as Acting Assistant Secretary for the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning and held the position of Chairman of the Board of Directors for the National Bank of Tuvalu.

Hon.Kausea Natano is an Alumni of the University of the South Pacific and was one of the few students that attended King George V Secondary School in Kiribati while Tuvalu was still under the Colony of Gilbert and Ellice Islands. He was born on 5th July 1957, married to Mrs Selepa Kausea Natano and have a daughter and three boys.

The two chambers of the Oliy Majlis passed a resolution on the approval of Abdulla Aripov at the post of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan on 21 January 2020. 

Born in Liverpool (UK) in 1956, Guy Ryder studied Social and Political Sciences at the University of Cambridge and Latin American Studies at the University of Liverpool. He speaks French and Spanish as well as his mother tongue, English. He started his professional career in 1981 as assistant at the International Department of the Trade Union Congress in London.

From 1985, he held the position of Secretary of the Industry Trade Section of the International Federation of Commercial, Clerical, Professional and Technical Employees (FIET) in Geneva.

In 1988, Guy Ryder became Assistant Director and – from 1993 - Director of the Geneva office of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU).

Guy Ryder first joined the International Labour Organization in 1998 as Director of the Bureau for Workers’ Activities and, from 1999, as Director of the Office of the Director-General. It was during this time that the ILO’s Decent Work Agenda was launched and won support from the international community.

In 2002, he was appointed General Secretary of the ICFTU, leading the process of global unification of the democratic international trade union movement. He was elected as first General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) when it was created in 2006. He headed international trade union delegations to high level talks with the UN, IMF, World Bank and WTO and to the G20 Leaders’ Summits.

In September 2010, Guy Ryder came back to the ILO in Geneva as Executive Director, responsible for international labour standards and fundamental principles and rights at work. Among other activities, he supervised the application of ILO Conventions and Recommendations. He also headed several high-level ILO missions to address a range of issues related to labour standards in countries such as Bahrain, Colombia, Fiji, Georgia, Greece, Myanmar and Swaziland.

Guy Ryder was elected as ILO Director-General by the ILO's Governing Body in May 2012 and took office on 1 October 2012. On taking office, he pledged to position the Organization as a determined actor translating principle into action and ensuring that it had the capacity to make a major difference to the working lives of people on all of the continents. To support this he launched a major reform process  geared to assuring the ILO’s authority on matters falling within its mandate.

Guy Ryder was re-elected as ILO Director-General by the ILO's Governing Body on 7 November 2016 with overwhelming support across the ILO's tripartite constituency. His second term started on 1 October 2017.

Professor Petteri Taalas has been the Secretary-General of WMO since 1 January 2016. He was appointed by the World Meteorological Congress in 2015 for a first four-year term. He is now serving his second four-year term (Jan 2020-Dec 2023).

• Director General, Finnish Meteorological Institute, 2007–2015 and 2002–2005
• Director, WMO Development and Regional Activities Department, 2005–2007
• Research professor remote sensing, 2000–2002, and Head of research, Scientist, 1986-1999, leader of ozone research unit

International activities and memberships

• Member of WMO Executive Council since 2008 and European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) Council 2002–2005, 2007 to present
• Chairman of EUMETSAT Council 2010–2014 and EUMETNET Council 2003–2005
• Delegate of Finland to Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change  2007–2015

National activities and memberships

• Chairman of the board, University of Eastern Finland since 2010
• Alumnus of the year of University of Helsinki 2012
• Member of the Finnish Science Academy since 2010, Advisory board of Fortum Energy Company (turnover 6.2 bn €) and of the Finnish Space and Arctic boards 2003–2005, 2009 to present

University and other degrees

• PhD in Meteorology, University of Helsinki, Department of Physics, 1993
• Management, Executive Education, Helsinki School of Economics, 1998 and 2004

List of publications

Author of ~50 peer-reviewed papers on satellite technology, global change, climate & atmospheric chemistry, dozens of other publications & presentations.

Dato Lim Jock Hoi was the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Brunei Darussalam since 2006.

During his tenure, he served as Brunei Darussalam’s Senior Official for the ASEAN Economic Community Pillar (SEOM), APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) and the ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting). He was a member of the High Level Task Force on ASEAN Economic Integration (HLTF-EI) since 2001, serving as the HLTF-EI Chair in 2017. He was Brunei Darussalam’s Chief Negotiator for the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP), as well as for the P4, precursor to the TPP negotiations. Previously, he was also the Co-Chair during the negotiations for the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA), and also served as Brunei Darussalam’s Chief Negotiator for the Brunei Darussalam-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (BJEPA).

From June 2011-2017, he was the Chairman of the Governing Board of the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA). He was also on the External Advisory Board for the ASEAN 2030 Study being undertaken by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

He entered the Government Service as an education officer in 1977 and served as principal of a Secondary School from 1981 – 1985. From February 2001 – July 2005, he was appointed as Director-General, International Relations and Trade Development, Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources. In September 2005, he was appointed as Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

He graduated from the City of London Polytechnic in B.Sc (Hons) Economics in 1976 and received his Post Graduate Certificate of Education in 1977.

He was awarded The Most Honourable Order of Seri Paduka Mahkota Brunei, second Class (D.P.M.B) in 2007. He is married with two sons.

Born August 31, 1955 in the Bukhara Region.Graduated from the Bukhara State Pedagogical Institute in 1976, the Academy of the Interior Ministry of the USSR in 1985. Completed postgraduate studies at the Academy of the Interior Ministry of the USSR in 1990. PhD in Jurisprudence. Fluent in Fluent in English, German, Russian and Tajik languages.

1978-1992: Worked in different positions at the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Uzbekistan;

1992-1995: Expert, consultant on administrative and legal issues at the Executive Office of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan;

1995-1996: Deputy, then First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan;

1996-1998: State Councillor of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan;

1998-2003: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Uzbekistan to Germany, Switzerland and Poland;

2003-2004: First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan;

2004-2006: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Uzbekistan to Belgium, head of the mission of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the European Union (EU) and NATO;

2006-2010: Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan;

2010-2013: First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan;

2013-2017: Ambassador of the Republic of Uzbekistan to Benelux countries, head of the mission of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the EU and NATO;

2017-2018: Director of the Institute of Strategic and Regional Research under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan;

Appointed as the Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in 1 January 2019. He holds the diplomatic rank of the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary. Awarded the Order of Mekhnat Shukhrati (Glory of Labour) of the Republic of Uzbekistan in 2003.

Married with three children.

August 2018 Secretary General of Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO)

Feb-Aug 2018 Deputy Secretary General of Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO)

2016-2018 Advisor to the Minister for Foreign Affairs of I.R.Iran

2015-2018 Chairperson of the Committee for Foreign Policy, Secretariat of Expediency Discernment Council

2011-2016 Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Head of Centre for International Research & Education (CIRE)

2009-2011Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Africa

2006-2009 Director General, Department for International Economic Cooperation, MFA. Iranian Representative to the CPR of ECO and Commissioner to D8

2002-2004 Deputy Head of Department of Environment of I.R. Iran( Deputy Minister) for Natural Environment and Biodiversity

1997-2000 Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative to the European Office of United Nations in Geneva

1995-1997 Director, Department of UN and International Political Affairs, MFA

1991-1995 Ambassador to various Latin American countries, including Argentine an dParaguay

1989-1991 Director, Department of America, MFA

1985-1989 Ambassador to Spain

1983-1985 Deputy Director for West Europe

H. E. Mr. Tenzin Lekphell took up the position of the Secretary General of BIMSTEC on 06 November 2020.
After graduation, Mr. Lekphell started his career as a militia officer in the capacity of a Lieutenant (1990-2004) at the Royal Bhutan Army. Thereon, he joined the Bhutanese civil service, where he served for more than a decade (1994-2007) before he resigned to participate in Bhutan’s historic democratic elections of 2013 and 2018. Earlier, he served as the Chief Labour Officer, Ministry of Labour and Human Resources from 1999 – 2007 and Planning Officer, Ministry of Agriculture from 1994-1998. Being the founding leader and the Secretary General, H. E. Mr. Tenzin Lekphell, subsequently became the Advisor and Executive Member of the third political party of Bhutan, Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa (DNT), which is the present ruling party of the Kingdom of Bhutan.
He was the founder of Institute for Management Studies (IMS), first private management training institute of Bhutan and served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Institute from 2009 – 2017. He also launched several private ventures that have enabled creation of employment for numerous Bhutanese youth. Mr. Lekphell spearheaded several national projects in Bhutan, i.e., NATION IN PRAYER (2019 – 2020), TENDREL (2016).
In 2016, Mr. Lekphell achieved Global Environment Leader Award from Global Environment Foundation, New Delhi, for the initiative TENDREL- planting of 108,000 trees to welcome the birth of the first Prince. In 2003, he received Druk Yugyel Medal from His Majesty the King for gallantry following the military service to the nation.
Mr. Lekphell holds a Masters Degree in Science (Agriculture Economics) from London University, United Kingdom and Bachelors in Science from Sherubtse College, affiliated to Delhi University, India.

H. E. Mr. Tenzin Lekphell is married to Mrs. Chokey Yangzom and blessed with three children.

He was born on May 6, 1950 in the village of Novy Snov, Nesvizh District, Minsk Region.

He graduated from Snovskaya secondary school with a silver medal in 1967, from Brest Engineering and Construction Institute in 1972, and from Minsk Communist Party Higher School in 1989.

In 1972, he began his career as an engineer at Minskproekt State Design Institute and during 1972-1973 he served in the Soviet army.

From 1973 to 1983 he held engineering and senior management positions in public utilities of the city of Minsk.

From 1983 to 1986 he was Chairman of Soviet District Executive Committee of the Council of People's Deputies of the city of Minsk, Deputy Chairman of the Executive Committee of Minsk City Council of People's Deputies, Secretary of Minsk City Committee of the Communist Party of Belarus.

From 1986 to 1990 he served as Minister of Housing and Public Utilities of the BSSR.

From 1990 to 1995 he was Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the BSSR - Chairman of the State Committee for Economy and Planning of the BSSR, First Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus, and Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus.

In 1994, he was appointed as a member of the Presidium of the Interstate Economic Committee of the Economic Union (CIS).

From 1995 to 2001 he was Head of Presidential Executive Office of the Republic of Belarus.

From 2001 to 2010 he served as Chairman of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus (President, since 2004 – Chairman of the Presidium).

From 2003 to 2012 he was Chairman of the Subcommittee for State Awards of the Republic of Belarus in the field of science and technology.

Since 2015 he was Chairman of the Committee for State Awards of the Republic of Belarus.

From 2010 to 2014 he served as Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus.

From 2015 to 2019 he co-chaired the Forums of Regions of Belarus and Russia held annually by the Council of the Republican National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus and the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation.

In 2014 he took part in the UN Climate Summit, as well as in the first Belarusian-American Investment Forum, which were both held in New York.

From 2015 to 2019 he was Chairman of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus of the fifth (2015-2016) and sixth (2016-2019) convocations, Chairman of the Council for Interaction of Local Self-Government Bodies under the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus (2015-2019).

He is the Chairman of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission since 1 February 2020.

H. E. Mr. Esala Ruwan Weerakoon of Sri Lanka assumed charge of office as the Secretary General of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) with effect from 01 March 2020. He is the fourteenth Secretary General of SAARC.

H. E. Mr. Weerakoon is a career diplomat. Prior to this appointment, he was the Senior Additional Secretary to the President of Sri Lanka. He has also served as the Foreign Secretary and Secretary at the Ministry of Tourism Development and Christian Religious Affairs, Sri Lanka. In his thirty-two years of diplomatic service, he has also served as Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to India and Ambassador to Norway.

H. E. Mr. Weerakoon holds a MSc degree in Economics from the University of London.

When Dame Meg Taylor was appointed Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum in August 2014, she became the first woman to hold this post.

A national of Papua New Guinea, she began her professional life as Private Secretary to Chief Minister Michael Somare during self-government of Papua New Guinea, and then during his tenure as Prime Minister of an independent Papua New Guinea. She practiced law with the Office of the Public Solicitor and in the private sector, and served as a member of the Law Reform Commission.

She was Ambassador of Papua New Guinea to the United States, Mexico and Canada in Washington, DC from 1989-1994. In 2002, she was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire.

Dame Meg has served on the board of the Bank of Papua New Guinea and on the boards of a number of companies in Papua New Guinea in the natural resources, financial, and agricultural sectors, as well as on the boards of companies listed on the Australian Securities Exchange. She has also served on the boards of international conservation and research organizations.

She was appointed to the post of Vice President and Compliance Advisor Ombudsman (CAO) of the World Bank Group in 1999 following a selection process led by civil society, industry, and academia. Having set up CAO, which is a key part of the governance structure of the World Bank Group, Meg Taylor led the office for 15 years and established a rich body of work. CAO provides independent accountability and recourse for communities impacted by projects supported by the private sector arms of the World Bank Group - the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA). Through her leadership, CAO has become internationally recognized for its cutting edge work in addressing corporate-community conflict around the globe, with a model that has been replicated by other multilateral institutions. She concluded her term at CAO in August 2014.

In January 2016, Dame Meg was appointed to the High Level Steering Committee on Every Women Every Child by the Secretary General of the United Nations.

Dame Meg is also currently the Pacific Ocean Commissioner, and as such advocates for the secure future of Pacific people based on the sustainable development, management and conservation of the Pacific Ocean and its resources.

Helen Clark is a respected global leader on sustainable development, gender equality and international co-operation. She served three successive terms as Prime Minister of New Zealand between 1999 and 2008. While in government, she led policy debate on a wide range of economic, social, environmental and cultural issues, including sustainability and climate change.

She then became the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Administrator for two terms from 2009 to 2017, the first woman to lead the organisation. She was also the Chair of the United Nations Development Group, a committee consisting of the Heads of all UN funds, programmes and departments working on development issues.

In 2019 Helen Clark became patron of The Helen Clark Foundation. She is an active member of many global organisations. 

David drives Tencent’s participation in new technologies, business areas, research collaborations and ideas. He has worked on building Tencent's international footprint and entrance into new business areas since 2001. Prior to Tencent, David worked for Naspers in China.

David received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington and a Master’s degree from UC Berkeley.

Mari Pangestu is the World Bank Managing Director of Development Policy and Partnerships. In this role, which she assumed on March 1, 2020, Ms. Pangestu provides leadership and oversees the research and data group of the World Bank (DEC), the work program of the World Bank’s Global Practice Groups, and the External and Corporate Relations function.

Ms. Pangestu joins the Bank with exceptional policy and management expertise, having served as Indonesia’s Minister of Trade from 2004 to 2011 and as Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy from 2011 to 2014.

She has had vast experience of over 30 years in academia, second track processes, international organizations and government working in areas related to international trade, investment and development in multilateral, regional and national settings.

Most recently, Ms. Pangestu was a Senior Fellow at the Columbia School of International and Public Affairs, as well as Professor of International Economics at the University of Indonesia, adjunct professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University and a Board Member of Indonesia Bureau of Economic Research (IBER), as well as Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Jakarta.

Ms. Pangestu is highly regarded as an international expert on a range of global issues. She served as Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in Washington D.C and as advisor to the Global Commission on the Geopolitics of Energy Transformation of International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) in Abu Dhabi. Her record of board and task force service includes the Leadership Council of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), co-chair of the expert group for the High-Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy, the panel of the WHO health initiative, the Equal Access Initiative, commissioner for the Low Carbon Development Initiative of Indonesia and executive board member of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). She has also served on the board of a number of private sector companies.

She obtained her bachelor’s and master’s degree in economics from the Australian National University, and her doctorate in economics from the University of California at Davis. She is married and has two children.

Mr. Smorodin assumed position in the GTI Secretariat as the Director in July 2020.

Born 1954. Career diplomat. Has the diplomatic rank “Envoy Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary First class”. Speaks Chinese and English.

After graduating in 1976 from Moscow State Institute for International Relations served at different positions in the USSR (Russia) Foreign ministry and Embassy in the Peoples Republic of China.

1999-2003 and 2007-2011 – Deputy Director General of the MFA Economic cooperation Department in charge of multilateral cooperation of Russia in the field of transport and energy.

2003-2007 – Consul-General of Russia in Hong-Kong Special Administrative Region of the Peoples Republic of China.

2011-2015 ­– Consul-General of Russia in Shanghai,

2015-2019 - Deputy Director General of the MFA First Asian Department in charge of cooperation with China in practical fields including industry, energy, transport, agriculture, science and technology as well as humanitarian sphere.

Married, has a daughter.