Climate Classroom @COP28 – Sustainable Marine Transport

Mr. Nikhil SETH is currently the UN Assistant Secretary-General and Executive Director of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). Prior to this role, he directed the Division for Sustainable Development within the UN Secretariat’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA). In this capacity, he led preparations for significant conferences such as Rio+20 in Brazil and the Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States in Samoa, playing a central role in their coordination and follow-up. Mr. Seth oversaw the Division responsible for facilitating intergovernmental negotiations for the post-2015 development agenda, which culminated in its adoption at the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit in September 2015. Before his UN service, Mr. Seth served as a delegate to the UN in India’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations and participated in significant UN conferences including the Rio Summit and climate change processes.

Professor Başak AKDEMIR is the Chief Executive of MLA College, Executive Director of CIFAL City of London and a Fellow of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). CIFAL City of London and MLA College work together to make positive change in the world of sustainability. She has worked within the maritime industry and academia, served as the managing partner of a ship owning company and acted as a Board Member in the Turkish Chamber of Shipping and a member of the Board of Governors at Piri Reis University. She is a board of trustee member of Turkish Maritime Education Foundation.

Prof. Malek POURZANJANI is currently Head of Naval Education at MLA College. He served on merchant ships for 11 years before reading for a BSc (Hons) in Maritime Technology at the University of Wales and a PhD at the University of Exeter. He has held various senior management positions in academia including INMARSAT Professor of Maritime Affairs World Maritime University (UN), President and Principal of Australian Maritime College, Pro Vice-Chancellor University of Tasmania, President of Raffles University, President of Netherlands Maritime Institute of Technology, and Chief Executive South African International Maritime Institute. His main area of interest is maritime safety which spans the whole spectrum of ship design and operation and he has been the lead investigator on many Research Council and EC-funded projects. In the past he has worked as a consultant to the Canadian Government and the International Maritime Organisation.

Mr. Alexander MEJIA is a career international civil servant working at the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) since 2004. He has been based in Geneva since 2012 as the Director of UNITAR’s Division for People and Social Inclusion. Within the Division, he leads UNITAR’s Social Development Programme (SDP). Prior to these posts in Switzerland, Mr. Mejia served for three years as Director of UNITAR’s Hiroshima Office in Japan, and for four years as Director of UNITAR’s CIFAL training center in Atlanta, USA. In his current capacity, he also serves as Director of UNITAR’s global network of 31 CIFAL training centers and is also responsible for UNITAR’s Nigeria Project Office.