Initiative Governing Committee (IGC) Members

The Initiative Governing Committee is comprised of G20 Member states, other countries and international agencies.

CORDAP is Chaired by Dr. Osama Faqeeha, Deputy Minister of Environment, Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, Saudi Arabia, and Vice-Chaired by Jennifer Koss, Director, NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program, United States.

The Initiative Governing Committee (IGC) comprises participating members who oversee CORDAP and approve its strategic plans, operating procedures, rules and procedures of the research programs, and accreditation of participating institutions.

The Committee will also approve fund allocations to research projects recommended by the Scientific and Advisory Committee. A number of subcommittees will support the IGC.

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Mr. Francisco Firpo Lacoste

Technical Advisor

Secretariat of Environmental Policy on Natural Resources

Argentina

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Prof. Selina Stead

Chief Executive Officer

Australian Institute of Marine Sciences (AIMS)

Australia

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Ana Paula Leite Prates

Director

Ocean and Coastal Management Department at the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change

Brazil

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Mr. Fariz Ahmadov

Senior Policy Advisor

International Oceans Policy, Fisheries and Oceans

Canada

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Mr. Antoine Pebayle

Charge de Mission

French Initiative for Coral Reef (IFRECOR)

France

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Mr. Markus Knigge

Executive Director

Blue Action Fund

Ms. Cecilia Torres

Programme Coordinator

Blue Action Fund 

Germany

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Ms. Anna Popova

International Relations Officer

 International Ocean Governance, Law of the Sea and Arctic Policy Unit

European Commission Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs & Fisheries (DG MARE)

European Union

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Ms. Rajasree Ray

Head of the Climate Change Finance Unit

Ministry of Finance

India

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Dr. Hendra Siry

Secretary of Directorate General of Marine Spatial Management

Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries

Indonesia

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Mr. Naomi Inoue

Assistant Manager

Nature Conservation Bureau, Ministry of the Environment, Government of Japan

Mr. Satoshi Kichise

Biodiversity Policy Division, Nature Conservation Bureau

Ministry of the Environment, Government of Japan

Japan

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Ms. Shafiya Naeem

Director General at Maldives Marine Research Institute

Ms. Lisama Sabry

Senior Conservation Officer at Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Technology

Republic of Maldives

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Dr. Osama Faqeeha
(Chair)

Deputy Minister for Environment

Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture

Saudi Arabia

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Mr. Yadira Gomez

Regional Director

National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP)

Mr. Jose Feliciano Gonzalez Jimenez

General Director

National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP)

Mexico

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Dr. Toufiek Samaai

Specialist Scientist

Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries

South Africa

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Dr. Mahir Kanyılmaz

Head of Fisheries Resources Management and Fisheries Infrastructure

Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry

Mrs. Gulden Oncirak Yavuz

European Union Assistant Specialist

Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry

Turkey

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Dr. Ebrahim Abdulla Al Jamali

Director of Marine Research Centre

UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment

Dr. Majd Mohammed Al Herbawi

Director of Animal Development & Health Department

UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment

United Arab Emirates (UAE)

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Ms. Kate Goforth

Species Conservation Policy Advisor

Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA)

United Kingdom

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Ms. Jennifer Koss
(Vice Chair)

Director

NOAA-Coral Reef Conservation Program

United States of America

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Dr. Pinsak Suraswadi

Director General

Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR)

Dr. Thamasak Yeemin

Head, Marine Biodiversity Research Group, Marine Biodiversity Research Group (MBRG)

Ramkhamhaeng University (RU)

Thailand

Members to date

Argentina
Australia
Brazil
Canada
European Union
France

Germany
India
Indonesia
Japan
Maldives
Mexico
Saudi Arabia

South Africa
Thailand
Turkey
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States of America

Argentina

Mr. Francisco Firpo Lacoste

Technical Advisor

Secretariat of Environmental Policy on Natural Resources

Australia

Dr. Britta Schaffelke

Manager, International Projects and Initiatives

Australian Institute of Marine Sciences

Australia

Brazil

Ana Paula Leite Prates

Director

Ocean and Coastal Management Department at the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change of Brazil

Canada

Ms. Amanda Kettler

International Oceans Policy Analyst

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

European Union

Bénédicte Caremier

Senior Expert

European Commission Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs & Fisheries

France

Mr. Antoine Pebayle

Charge de Mission

French Initiative for Coral Reef (IFRECOR)

Germany
India
Ms. Rajasree Ray

Head of the Climate Change Finance Unit

Ministry of Finance

India

Indonesia

Dr. Hendra Siry

Secretary of Directorate General of Marine Spatial Management

Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries

Japan
Mr. Hiroki Sato

Senior Coordinator for Biodiversity

Senior Analyst for Ecosystem, Biodiversity Policy Division, Nature Conservation Bureau at Ministry of the Environment, Government of Japan

Mr. Jun Nagao 

Biodiversity Policy Division, Nature Conservation Bureau

Ministry of the Environment, Government of Japan

Japan

Maldives

Ms. Shafiya Naeem

Director General

Maldives Marine Research Institute

 

Ms. Lisama Sabry

Senior Conservation Officer

Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Technology

Mexico

Mr. Yadira Gomez

Regional Director

National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP)

 

Mr. Jose Feliciano Gonzalez Jimenez

General Director of Institutional Strengthening & International Affairs

National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP)

Saudi Arabia

Dr. Osama Faqeeha
(Chair)

Deputy Minister for Environment

Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture

South Africa

Dr. Toufiek Samaai

Specialist Scientist

Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries

Turkey

Dr. Mahir Kanyılmaz

Head of Fisheries Resources Management  and Fisheries Infrastructure

Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry

 

Mrs. Gulden Oncirak Yavuz 

European Union Assistant Specialist

Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry

United Arab Emirates

Dr. Ebrahim Abdulla Al Jamali

Director of Marine Research Centre

UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment 

Dr. Majd Mohammed Al Herbawi

Director of Animal Development & Health Department

UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment

United Kingdom

Mr. Murray Fyfe

Species Conservation Policy Advisor

Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA)

United States of America

Ms. Jennifer Koss
(Vice Chair)

Director

NOAA-Coral Reef Conservation Program

Chairs

CHAIR

Dr. Osama Faqeeha

Deputy Minister of
Environment

Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture

Saudi Arabia

VICE-CHAIR

Jennifer Koss

Director

NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program

United States

Advisory Members
to the IGC

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Coral Restoration Consortium (CRC)

Dr. R. Scott Winters

CEO of Coral Restoration Foundation and Co-chairman of the Coral Restoration Consortium

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Global Fund for Coral Reefs (GFCR)

Mr. Yabanex Batista

Deputy Head, UN Global Team

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Great Barrier Reef Foundation (GBRF)

Dr. Theresa Fyffe

Executive Director of Projects & Partnerships

 

Ms. Margot Andersen

External Relations Head

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International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI)

Mr. Francis Staub

Coordinator

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International Coral Reef Society (ICRS)

Prof. Christian Voolstra

President of ICRS and Professor & Head of SequAna Core Facility at University of Konstanz

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Observer | Japanese Coral Reef Society (JCRS)

Dr. Atsushi Watanabe

Senior Research Fellow

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The Commonwealth Secretariat

Dr. Daniel Wilde

Head of Oceans

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Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation

Dr. Alexandra Dempsey

Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

 

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Mirpuri Foundation

Ms. Ana Agostinho

Advisor

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UN Environment Programme (UNEP)

Ms. Sinikinesh Jimma

Chief, Marine & International Waters Unit

Mr. Gabriel Grimsditch

Programme Management Officer
Monitoring & Evaluation Lead

Mr. Aidan McKean

Associate Programme Management Officer
Marine & International Waters Unit

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Global Center on Adaptation (GCA)

Mr. Nitin Jain

Senior Director of Programs

Ms. Adele Cadario

Global Program Lead – Infrastructure and Nature-Based Solutions

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XPRIZE

Mr. David Babson

Executive Vice President, Climate & Energy

Your contribution can fast-track research and development solutions to save the corals.