In a landmark appointment underscoring Egypt’s growing global leadership on environmental policy, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced the selection of Dr. Yasmine Fouad, Egypt’s Minister of Environment, as the new Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). The appointment, made in consultation with the Bureau of the Conference of the Parties, follows the departure of outgoing Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw of Mauritania, who was commended for his dedicated service.
Dr. Fouad brings more than 27 years of experience in global environmental governance, climate diplomacy, and sustainable development. Since assuming office as Egypt’s Minister of Environment in 2018, she has spearheaded transformative reforms in the sector, integrating environmental sustainability into national investment strategies and incentivizing private-sector engagement.
A Global Environmental Diplomat
Internationally recognized for her expertise, Dr. Fouad has played a central role in multilateral environmental cooperation. She chaired the 14th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP14) from 2018 to 2021 and served as Ministerial Coordinator and Special Envoy for COP27. She was instrumental in shaping the Global Biodiversity Framework to 2030 and led key COP27 initiatives, including those focused on adaptation, food security, nature-based solutions, and the integration of the Rio Conventions.
Her contributions include spearheading Egypt’s presidency initiative launched at COP14 to foster synergies among the Rio Conventions—climate change, biodiversity, and desertification—and advocating for their alignment at subsequent COPs, including COP27 and COP28. She has also co-led climate finance negotiations across five COPs, championing the interests of developing nations while engaging constructively with donor countries.
Regional and Academic Credentials
Regionally, Dr. Fouad has contributed to Africa’s environmental agenda through her work with the Committee of African Heads of State on Climate Change (CAHOSCC) and the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN). She has coordinated flagship programs under NEPAD on land degradation, biodiversity, and ecosystem-based adaptation, and played a key role in developing Africa’s Renewable Energy and Adaptation Initiatives.
Her academic background includes a doctorate in political science with a focus on Euro-Mediterranean studies and a master’s in environmental science. A visiting scholar at Columbia University’s Earth Institute, she helped conceptualize Egypt’s Center of Excellence for Climate Adaptation and authored policy papers on Middle East and North African climate policy. She is fluent in Arabic and English.
Advancing the Global Anti-Desertification Agenda
As Executive Secretary of the UNCCD, Dr. Fouad will lead global efforts to combat land degradation—a challenge with growing urgency amid climate stress, biodiversity loss, and increasing food insecurity, particularly across Africa and the Middle East.
In a separate development, Dr. Fouad also met virtually with French Minister of Ecological Transition Agnès Pannier-Runacher to discuss Egypt’s participation in the upcoming UN Ocean Conference in Nice this June. The two ministers emphasized strengthening Mediterranean cooperation on marine biodiversity and plastic pollution, especially under the Barcelona Convention framework.
Dr. Fouad stressed the need for a globally balanced and financially supported plastics treaty that respects national contexts and ensures a just transition for developing nations. She also proposed a comprehensive socio-economic impact assessment to guide the shift away from unnecessary plastics, citing Egypt’s recent extended producer responsibility policy and its new levy on single-use plastic bags.
Highlighting Egypt’s community-led plastic cleanup campaigns—such as initiatives empowering Nile fishermen and women to repurpose waste—Dr. Fouad called for integrating legal, technological, and behavioral solutions. “Plastic is essential, but its harm is not inevitable,” she stated, urging for scalable recycling technologies and accessible financing.
In this regard, Minister Runacher welcomed Egypt’s participation in the conference and extended a formal invitation to Dr. Fouad to co-lead a high-level roundtable, particularly to present Egypt’s marine conservation and anti-plastics strategies.
As Dr. Fouad prepares to transition into her new global role, her legacy in Egypt underscores a shift in environmental leadership: locally grounded, globally engaged, and future-focused.
