IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature

Despina Symons Pirovolidou, Greece

18 April 2012 | Article

Despina Symons has acquired deep knowledge and experience of EU environmental policies and procedures and has an extensive network of contacts, encompassing senior environmental policy makers and other stakeholders.

Working daily with EU institutions, particularly the European Parliament, she has organized numerous events bringing together policy makers, governments, NGOs, the scientific community and other experts, which have influenced policy on issues in agriculture, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture. Throughout, she has worked closely with the IUCN Regional Office for Europe.

Despina will leverage her EU contacts to aid IUCN’s Regional Office for Europe in expanding its impact on EU policy and to strengthen the working relationship between IUCN and EU institutions. In particular, she is well placed to encourage more frequent use by the EU of IUCN’s unique ability to bring together multiple stakeholders to achieve consensus.

She will support further moves to strengthen the implementation of the One Programme Approach, encouraging collaboration between the Council, the Secretariat, the Commissions and their constituent members as well as National Committees, supporting the key role they play in underpinning the work of IUCN.

Despina will also support the initiative SULi (Sustainable Use and Livelihoods) and the Business and Biodiversity initiative in which she has been actively involved.

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Note that Despina Symons Pirovolidou will communicate in English, French and Spanish.