The eighth champions, who served in 2023, were Ms. Razan Al Mubarak from the United Arab Emirates and Ms. Nigar Arpadarai from Azerbaijan.

Biographies:

Former High-Level Champion, COP 28 Presidency, United Arab Emirates: Ms. Razan Al Mubarak 

Ms. Razan Al Mubarak is currently President of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the second woman to lead the organization in its 75-year history. She is also the founding director of the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund which, since its inception, has supported more than 2,500 species conservation projects in over 160 countries.

In 2010, Al Mubarak was appointed as the Managing Director of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD), becoming the youngest person to lead an Abu Dhabi entity and the only woman to hold such a position. Under her guidance and leadership, the government agreed to double its protected wildlife areas and adopt the region’s first carbon targets: a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 42% by 2030.

She holds an MSc in Public Understanding of Environmental Change from the University College London, UK, where her thesis analysed traditional laws of the sea in the UAE region, and a BA (Hons) in Environmental Studies and International Relations from Tufts University, Massachusetts, USA.

Climate High-Level Champion, COP 29 Presidency, Azerbaijan: Ms. Nigar Arpadarai

Ms. Nigar Arpadarai is an independent member of the Milli Majlis, representing one of the central constituencies of Baku city since 2020. She was elected to parliament after 15 years of professional experience in international organizations, sports and telecommunications. 

She is a member of two parliamentary committees – the Foreign and Inter-Parliamentary Relations Committee and Family, Women and Children Committee. Ms. Arpadarai is also the Chairperson of the Working Group on Azerbaijan-Portugal Inter-Parliamentary Relations in the Parliament of Azerbaijan. 

Prior to becoming a member of the Parliament of Azerbaijan, she was the Director of the Marketing and Communications Department and the official spokesperson of the Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix since its inception in 2016. 

Ms. Arpadarai is the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Azerbaijan National Anti-Doping Agency (AMADA). She holds bachelor's and master's degrees in law and international relations from Baku State University.

Main Achievements in 2024:

• Achievements of the High-Level Champions and the Marrakech Partnership - January-May 2024

• Yearbook of Global Climate Action 2024

The seventh champions, who served in 2023, were Mr. Mahmoud Mohieldin from Egypt and Ms. Razan Al Mubarak from the United Arab Emirates.

Biographies:

Former High-Level Champion, COP 27 Presidency, Egypt: Mr. Mahmoud Mohieldin

Dr. Mahmoud Mohieldin is an economist with more than 30 years of experience in international finance and development. He is an Executive Director at the International Monetary Fund and has been the United Nations Special Envoy on Financing the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda since February 2020. 

He was the World Bank Group Senior Vice President for the 2030 Development Agenda, United Nations Relations, and Partnerships until January 2020. 
Dr. Mohieldin held numerous senior positions in the government of Egypt, including minister of investment from 2004 until 2010. He also served on several boards of directors, including the Central Bank of Egypt and the banking and corporate sector. He was a member of the Commission on Growth and Development and selected a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum.

He is a professor of economics and finance at Cairo University, an honorary professor at Durham University and a member of the Advisory Board of the Durham Business School. He also held leading positions in national and regional research centers and think tanks. He has authored numerous publications and articles in leading journals in the fields of international finance, economics, and development in English and Arabic. He received his doctorate in economics from the University of Warwick, M.Sc. in economic and social policy analysis from the University of York, and B.Sc. in economics, first in the order of merit, from Cairo University. 

High-Level Champion, COP 28 Presidency, United Arab Emirates: Ms. Razan Al Mubarak 

Ms. Razan Al Mubarak is currently President of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the second woman to lead the organization in its 75-year history. She is also the founding director of the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund which, since its inception, has supported more than 2,500 species conservation projects in over 160 countries.

In 2010, Al Mubarak was appointed as the Managing Director of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD), becoming the youngest person to lead an Abu Dhabi entity and the only woman to hold such a position. Under her guidance and leadership, the government agreed to double its protected wildlife areas and adopt the region’s first carbon targets: a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 42% by 2030.

She holds an MSc in Public Understanding of Environmental Change from the University College London, UK, where her thesis analysed traditional laws of the sea in the UAE region, and a BA (Hons) in Environmental Studies and International Relations from Tufts University, Massachusetts, USA.

Main Achievements in 2023:

• Achievements of the High-Level Champions and Marrakech Partnership - June 2023
• Yearbook of Global Climate Action 2023

The sixth champions, who served in 2022, were Mr. Nigel Topping from the United Kingdom and Mr. Mahmoud Mohieldin from Egypt.

Biographies:

Former High-Level Champion, COP 26 Presidency, United Kingdom: Mr. Nigel Topping

Mr. Nigel Topping was the CEO of We Mean Business until December 2019 – a coalition of the world's most influential businesses working to accelerate the transition to a zero-carbon economy. Previously, he was Executive Director of CDP, working on programs including supply chain and cities. Nigel has 18 years’ experience in the private sector, including as a Senior Vice President of Supply Chain for a global automotive component manufacturer, TMD Friction. Nigel is a commissioner on the Energy Transitions Commission and a member of the Daimler Integrity and Responsibility Board. He is also a Director of the London Pension Fund Authority – appointed by Mayor Sadiq Khan to ensure implementation of his commitment to decarbonize the portfolio. He is a member of the Grantham Institute on Climate and Environment advisory board at LSE and Imperial College and sits on the boards of Schumacher College and the Science Based Targets initiative.

He holds a BA in Mathematics from Cambridge University, Cambridge, UK and an MSc in Holistic Science from Schumacher College, Devon, UK

Former High-Level Champion, COP 27 Presidency, Egypt: Mr. Mahmoud Mohieldin

Dr. Mahmoud Mohieldin is an economist with more than 30 years of experience in international finance and development. He is an Executive Director at the International Monetary Fund and has been the United Nations Special Envoy on Financing the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda since February 2020. 

He was the World Bank Group Senior Vice President for the 2030 Development Agenda, United Nations Relations, and Partnerships until January 2020. 
Dr. Mohieldin held numerous senior positions in the government of Egypt, including minister of investment from 2004 until 2010. He also served on several boards of directors, including the Central Bank of Egypt and the banking and corporate sector. He was a member of the Commission on Growth and Development and selected a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum.

He is a professor of economics and finance at Cairo University, an honorary professor at Durham University and a member of the Advisory Board of the Durham Business School. He also held leading positions in national and regional research centers and think tanks. He has authored numerous publications and articles in leading journals in the fields of international finance, economics, and development in English and Arabic. He received his doctorate in economics from the University of Warwick, M.Sc. in economic and social policy analysis from the University of York, and B.Sc. in economics, first in the order of merit, from Cairo University. 

Main Achievements in 2022:

• Achievements of High-Level Champions and Marrakech Partnership - May 2022
• Achievements of High-Level Champions and Marrakech Partnership - October 2022
• Yearbook of Global Climate Action 2022

The fifth champions, who served in 2020 and 2021, were Mr. Gonzalo Muñoz from Chile and Mr. Nigel Topping from the United Kingdom.

Biographies:

Former High-Level Champion, COP 25 Presidency, Chile: Mr. Gonzalo Muñoz

Mr. Gonzalo Muñoz is a business entrepreneur and social change-maker at the forefront of environmental innovation in Chile, who reinvented the country’s recycling industry to usher in a future without waste. He did so by founding a recycling company in 2009 and, ever since, has been presiding over the expansion of the company to other parts of Latin America. His company produces a recycling station capable of recycling 90 percent of household solid waste. Through the popularity of his innovation, Muñoz has been leading a cultural movement to advance environmental sustainability and social inclusion.

In recognition of his leadership, he was awarded the Circulars 2019 international prize at World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos and was also invited to join the New Plastics Economy advisory panel at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.

Former High-Level Champion, COP 26 Presidency, United Kingdom: Mr. Nigel Topping

Mr. Nigel Topping was the CEO of We Mean Business until December 2019 – a coalition of the world's most influential businesses working to accelerate the transition to a zero-carbon economy. Previously, he was Executive Director of CDP, working on programs including supply chain and cities. Nigel has 18 years’ experience in the private sector, including as a Senior Vice President of Supply Chain for a global automotive component manufacturer, TMD Friction. Nigel is a commissioner on the Energy Transitions Commission and a member of the Daimler Integrity and Responsibility Board. He is also a Director of the London Pension Fund Authority – appointed by Mayor Sadiq Khan to ensure implementation of his commitment to decarbonize the portfolio. He is a member of the Grantham Institute on Climate and Environment advisory board at LSE and Imperial College and sits on the boards of Schumacher College and the Science Based Targets initiative.

He holds a BA in Mathematics from Cambridge University, Cambridge, UK and an MSc in Holistic Science from Schumacher College, Devon, UK

Main Achievements in 2020-2021:

• Yearbook of Global Climate Action 2020
• Achievements of the High-Level Champions and Marrakech Partnership - April 2021
• Achievements of the High-Level Champions and Marrakech Partnership - November 2021
• Yearbook of Global Climate Action 2021

The fourth champions, who served in 2019, were Mr. Tomasz Chruszczow from Poland and Mr. Gonzalo Muñoz from Chile.

Biographies:

Former High-level Champion, COP 24 Presidency, Poland: Mr. Tomasz Chruszczow  

Mr. Tomasz Chruszczow graduated from the Technical University of Warsaw and has been active in environmental protection for more than 30 years, with a focus on industrial emissions, as well as waste management. Skilled in Sustainable Development, Corporate Social Responsibility, CDM, Sustainable Business, and Energy Policy. 

He has represented Polish glass manufacturers, including as the Vice President of CPIV – Standing Committee of European Glass Industries. He was the Delegate to the Consultative Commission on Industrial Change (CCMI) in the European Economic and Social Committee and worked on implementation of the IPPC and EU ETS directives in Poland. He was Chair of the Technical Working Groups in the Polish IPPC Centre and Poland’s delegate to the European IPPC Bureau.

Since 2009, he has held various roles in the Ministry of Environment, including Director of the Department of Climate Change and Atmosphere Protection, Chief Negotiator and Special Envoy for Climate Change, Head of the Polish delegation, and National Focal Point for UNFCCC. He chaired the EU delegation to the UNFCCC negotiations during Poland’s Presidency of the EU Council in 2011. He was Coordinator and Chief negotiator for the COP 19/CMP 9 Presidency during the COP in Warsaw.

He acted as Chair of the UNFCCC Subsidiary Bodies, including the Subsidiary Body for Implementation in 2012-2013 and 2016-2017, and the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice in 2014-2015 and was a member of the Adaptation Committee 2012-2015. He was named High-Level Climate Champion at COP 23 in 2017.

Former High-Level Champion, COP 25 Presidency, Chile: Mr. Gonzalo Muñoz

Mr. Gonzalo Muñoz is a business entrepreneur and social change-maker at the forefront of environmental innovation in Chile, who reinvented the country’s recycling industry to usher in a future without waste. He did so by founding a recycling company in 2009 and, ever since, has been presiding over the expansion of the company to other parts of Latin America. His company produces a recycling station capable of recycling 90 percent of household solid waste. Through the popularity of his innovation, Muñoz has been leading a cultural movement to advance environmental sustainability and social inclusion.

In recognition of his leadership, he was awarded the Circulars 2019 international prize at World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos and was also invited to join the New Plastics Economy advisory panel at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.

Main Achievements in 2019:

COP 25 decision on Global Climate Action: In Madrid, Parties acknowledged the important role non-Party stakeholders play towards the objective of the Convention and the goals of the Paris Agreement, in particular supporting Parties in mitigation and adaptation actions. In so doing, Parties also welcomed the continuation of the Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action and decided to have high-level champions until 2025. The champions are tasked to explore how to improve the work under the Marrakech Partnership for enhancing ambition. (Decision 1/CP.25)

Workprogramme 2019-2020: The champions developed a workprogramme for 2019-2020 and launched a consultation process releasing a letter to Parties and Non-Party Stakeholders to receive feedback on the review the work of the high-level champions so far and to take stock of where they and the Marrakech Partnership can progress towards a carbon-neutral, resilient world and stay as close as possible to the 1.5 °C limit on global warming.

Climate Action Pathways: Under the leadership of the champions, the Marrakesh Partnership developed and released the Climate Action Pathways, which provide a blue print on how collectively strive to a 1.5-degree climate-resilient future by 2050 across the thematic and cross-cutting areas of the Marrakech Partnership.

Global Climate Action portal - NAZCA: The Global Climate Action portal (NAZCA) was re‐launched in September 2019 with a new interactive map and country profile pages, making it easier for users navigate cross‐sector climate commitments from around the world. The country profile pages bring together climate action from cities, regions, companies and organizations to provide a snapshot of climate action within a country, which can inspire the replication of initiatives in other countries and help identify the potential for further collaboration across other sectors of society. Weblinks to the National Determined Contributions (NDCs) and, where applicable, Long Term Strategies are also provided.

It is the official repository for the transformational initiatives that were developed for the UN Secretary‐General’s Climate Action Summit. It will remain active in the follow‐up of the commitments and will work to further scale‐up and monitor the initiatives to achieve the promised objectives.

A major data upload of new and updated individual commitments and cooperative initiatives was implemented during COP 25.

UN Secretary‐General’s Climate Action Summit: The champions encouraged non‐Party stakeholders to participate and to take action to build momentum towards the Summit. The champions hosted a “Summit to Summit” event in New York; which analyzed all climate moments from 2014 Secretary‐General’s Summit until this year’s Summit and demonstrated the importance of these milestones in mobilizing ambitious climate action. The Global Climate Action Portal (NAZCA) had a critical role, ensuring that all initiatives launched at the Summit were included in the Portal.

The key messages from the Summit included:

• Five years of global summits /processes have helped drive a rapid increase in the number of initiatives and commitments;
• Initiatives and commitments come from all over the world and target all aspects of climate action;
• Initiatives have massive potential to help countries achieving their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs).

Regional Climate Weeks: The champions used the infrastructure of existing regional climate weeks to encourage, through the Marrakech Partnership, non‐Party stakeholders to interact with government representatives and create a platform of regionally focused discussions with policymakers with the aim of increasing climate action and enhancing the participation of stakeholders from the region. The regional climate weeks in 2019 aimed to discuss, among other things, the transformative areas of the Climate Action Summit hosted by the United Nations Secretary‐General.

Yearbook of Climate Action 2019: It was published on the 20 November 2019, highlights trends and provides information regarding the state of climate action. The yearbook can be found here.

Technical Examination Process (TEP): Key messages have been included in the Summary for Policy Makers.

Further information: Achievements of the High-Level Champions and Marrakech Partnership - 2019

The High-Level Champions who served in 2018 were H.E Inia Seruiratu from Republic of Fiji and M. Tomasz Chruszczow from Poland.

Biographies:

Former High-level Champion, COP 23 Presidency, Fiji: H.E Inia Seruiratu 

H.E Inia Seruiratu was Minister for Rural, Maritime Development and Disaster Management and Minister of Defense, National Security and Policing of Fiji. As Fiji’s High-Level Champion, his agenda laid out on a roadmap aimed at enhancing partnerships among governments, cities, businesses, investors, and citizens specially on the adaptation to vulnerable nations. 

He has led efforts to better prepare communities and enhance their resilience to the impacts of natural disasters, which are occurring with greater intensity due to climate change and are even more urgent regarding past catastrophes impact on people’s lives and economic subsistence. He used his position as Climate Champion to drive global action on this crucial issue and explored products and models that attracted private sector participation in the area of adaptation finance. He worked intensively on the Talanoa Dialogue process showing the ways in which holistic approaches and policy frameworks can be implemented across all sectors. The Talanoa Dialogue Synthesis report was published on November 2018 built on submissions made to the Talanoa Portal throughout 10 months. It received 471 inputs throughout the year, including the IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C.

Previously, he joined the Native Land Development Corporation in 1984 before joining the Republic of Fiji Military Forces in 1987 as a Commissioned Officer. His career in the civil service began in 2007 when he was appointed the Commissioner of Fiji’s Northern Division. In 2011, he was appointed as the Permanent Secretary and soon after the Minister for Agriculture, Rural and Maritime Development and National Disaster Management.

Former High-level Champion, COP 24 Presidency, Poland: Mr. Tomasz Chruszczow  

Mr. Tomasz Chruszczow graduated from the Technical University of Warsaw and has been active in environmental protection for more than 30 years, with a focus on industrial emissions, as well as waste management. Skilled in Sustainable Development, Corporate Social Responsibility, CDM, Sustainable Business, and Energy Policy. 

He has represented Polish glass manufacturers, including as the Vice President of CPIV – Standing Committee of European Glass Industries. He was the Delegate to the Consultative Commission on Industrial Change (CCMI) in the European Economic and Social Committee and worked on implementation of the IPPC and EU ETS directives in Poland. He was Chair of the Technical Working Groups in the Polish IPPC Centre and Poland’s delegate to the European IPPC Bureau.

Since 2009, he has held various roles in the Ministry of Environment, including Director of the Department of Climate Change and Atmosphere Protection, Chief Negotiator and Special Envoy for Climate Change, Head of the Polish delegation, and National Focal Point for UNFCCC. He chaired the EU delegation to the UNFCCC negotiations during Poland’s Presidency of the EU Council in 2011. He was Coordinator and Chief negotiator for the COP 19/CMP 9 Presidency during the COP in Warsaw.

He acted as Chair of the UNFCCC Subsidiary Bodies, including the Subsidiary Body for Implementation in 2012-2013 and 2016-2017, and the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice in 2014-2015 and was a member of the Adaptation Committee 2012-2015. He was named High-Level Climate Champion at COP 23 in 2017.

Main Achievements in 2018:

Regional Climate Weeks: They were used by the champions to have regionally-relevant discussions, with the ambition of increasing climate action and getting more stakeholders from the region involved. In 2018, the champions and Marrakech Partnership (MP) stakeholders participated in three regional Climate Weeks: Africa: Nairobi, Kenya in April; Asia-Pacific: Singapore in July; and Latin America and the Caribbean, Montevideo: Uruguay in August.

Talanoa Dialogue: The champions supported and encouraged the participation of NPS, facilitated the selection of participants in accordance with criteria defined by the Presidencies to ensure gender, regional and sectoral balance. Throughout the year, the champions provided guidance to ensure the participation of NPS in the Talanoa process was effective, including on how to tell impactful stories, make effective submissions to the platform and encouraging national governments and non-Party stakeholders to convene regional Talanoas.

Yearbook of Climate Action 2018: It was published on the 20 November 2018, highlights trends and provides information regarding the state of climate action. The yearbook can be found here.

Global Climate Action portal (or NAZCA): It was revamped and relaunched on 14 September 2018 at the Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco. The portal shows evidence of the momentum in Global Climate Action through a new map-based interface, easy identifies the locations of engaged stakeholders. The total numbers of stakeholders increased by ~ 60% and commitments by approximately ~ 40%. There was clear growth in regional participation with the number of stakeholders in Asia-Pacific, Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean increasing by ~30%, 20% and 20 % respectively.

Technical Examination Process (TEP): Key messages have been included in the Summary for Policy Makers.

Communications and collaboration tools: To facilitate and enhance communication with and between Parties and NPS, the following initiatives were taken forward:

• An on-line platform for registered MP stakeholders to share information and work together,
• Periodic newsletters to inform the climate action community of the latest news and developments from the champions
• Mobilizing Parties’ participation in MP planning meetings and events

Further information: Letter from the High-Level Champions of Global Climate Action.

The second champions, who served in 2017, were Ms. Hakima El Haite from Morocco and Mr. Inia Seruiratu from Republic of Fiji.

Biographies:

Former High-level Champion, COP 22 Presidency, Morocco: Ms. Hakima El Haite  

Ms. Hakima el Haité is a member of the executive board of Mouvement Populaire Morocco. She was elected as the 14th president of Liberal International (LI) at the 62nd Congress in Dakar, Senegal in 2018 and she is the second female president in LI’s history and the first from the Middle East – North Africa Region. She served as Minister Delegate in Charge of Environment of the Minister of Energy, Mining, Water and Environment of Morocco from 2013-2017 and a member of the executive board of the Popular Movement (MP), Chairwoman of the International Relations Committee. She was appointed Special Envoy for Climate Change of the Kingdom of Morocco from 2015 to 2017 and the High-Level Climate Champion from 2016 – 2017.

Holder of a PHD in Environmental Engineering from the School of Mines of Saint Etienne (France) and a Degree in political communication, University of Washington (Washington DC), she is Vice –president of U.S–NAPEO (North Africa Partnership for Economic Opportunity), chairman of Connectingroup International and deputy chairwoman of the Liberal International for Women.

Trilingual (Arabic, French, English), she participated as an observer in the presidential elections of the United States of America (2008) and parliamentary elections in Jordan (2010).

Former High-level Champion, COP 23 Presidency, Fiji: H.E Inia Seruiratu 

H.E Inia Seruiratu was Minister for Rural, Maritime Development and Disaster Management and Minister of Defense, National Security and Policing of Fiji. As Fiji’s High-Level Champion, his agenda laid out on a roadmap aimed at enhancing partnerships among governments, cities, businesses, investors, and citizens specially on the adaptation to vulnerable nations. 

He has led efforts to better prepare communities and enhance their resilience to the impacts of natural disasters, which are occurring with greater intensity due to climate change and are even more urgent regarding past catastrophes impact on people’s lives and economic subsistence. He used his position as Climate Champion to drive global action on this crucial issue and explored products and models that attracted private sector participation in the area of adaptation finance. He worked intensively on the Talanoa Dialogue process showing the ways in which holistic approaches and policy frameworks can be implemented across all sectors. The Talanoa Dialogue Synthesis report was published on November 2018 built on submissions made to the Talanoa Portal throughout 10 months. It received 471 inputs throughout the year, including the IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C.

Previously, he joined the Native Land Development Corporation in 1984 before joining the Republic of Fiji Military Forces in 1987 as a Commissioned Officer. His career in the civil service began in 2007 when he was appointed the Commissioner of Fiji’s Northern Division. In 2011, he was appointed as the Permanent Secretary and soon after the Minister for Agriculture, Rural and Maritime Development and National Disaster Management.

Main Achievements in 2017:

On 4 May 2017, the champions published a proposed approach, draft work programme (739 kB) and an impact and priority tracker (789 kB) . During SB46, the champions consulted with Parties and observers on these documents. Based on these consultations, the champions revised and published their approach for the Marrakech Partnership (347 kB).

The first champions served in 2016 and were Ms. Laurence Tubiana, Former French Ambassador for climate change and Ms. Hakima El Haite, Former Minister Delegate to the Minister of Energy, Mines, Water and Environment of Morocco, in charge of the Environment.

Biographies:

Former High-level Champion, COP 21 Presidency, France: Ms. Laurence Tubiana

Ms. Laurence Tubiana is CEO of the European Climate Foundation (ECF). In addition, she is the Chair of the Board of Directors at the French Development Agency (AFD). She was France’s Climate Change Ambassador and Special Representative for COP 21, and as such a key architect of the landmark Paris Agreement. Following COP21, she was appointed High Level Champion.

She brings decades of expertise and experience in climate change, energy, agriculture and sustainable development, working across government, think tanks, NGOs and academia. She started her career as a Research Director for the French National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA). In the 80’s and early 90’s she founded and then led Solagral, an NGO working on food security and the global environment. She founded in 2002 and directed until 2014 the Paris-based Institute of Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI). From 1997 to 2002, she served as Senior Adviser on the Environment to the French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin. From 2009 to 2010, she created and then led the newly established Directorate for Global Public Goods at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE). In 2013, she chaired the French National Debate on the Energy Transition. In 2018, President Macron appointed her to France’s High Council on Climate Change.

Throughout the years, she has held several academic positions, including as a Professor and Scientific Director for the International Development and Environmental Studies Master degrees at Sciences Po, Paris; and Professor of International Affairs at Columbia University, New York. She has been a member of numerous boards and scientific committees, including the Chinese Committee on the Environment and International Development (CCICED), and currently sits on advisory boards including TERI and Iberdrola.

Former High-level Champion, COP 22 Presidency, Morocco: Ms. Hakima El Haite  

Ms. Hakima el Haité is a member of the executive board of Mouvement Populaire Morocco. She was elected as the 14th president of Liberal International (LI) at the 62nd Congress in Dakar, Senegal in 2018 and she is the second female president in LI’s history and the first from the Middle East – North Africa Region. She served as Minister Delegate in Charge of Environment of the Minister of Energy, Mining, Water and Environment of Morocco from 2013-2017 and a member of the executive board of the Popular Movement (MP), Chairwoman of the International Relations Committee. She was appointed Special Envoy for Climate Change of the Kingdom of Morocco from 2015 to 2017 and the High-Level Climate Champion from 2016 – 2017.

Holder of a PHD in Environmental Engineering from the School of Mines of Saint Etienne (France) and a Degree in political communication, University of Washington (Washington DC), she is Vice –president of U.S–NAPEO (North Africa Partnership for Economic Opportunity), chairman of Connectingroup International and deputy chairwoman of the Liberal International for Women.

Trilingual (Arabic, French, English), she participated as an observer in the presidential elections of the United States of America (2008) and parliamentary elections in Jordan (2010).

Main Achievements in 2016:

In June 2016, the first champions published a roadmap for global climate action in which they described their tasks. In addition, the champions launched a consultation among Parties and non-Parties on their road map allowing for written submissions. They posed five questions to guide the submissions regarding the understanding of the landscape for global climate action; the role of the champions; the tracking and showcasing initiatives, the high-level event and the role of the TEMS.

The road map and the submissions received were discussed with Parties and non-Party stakeholders at different meetings: the Alliances and Coalitions Global Forum in Rabat (June), the Climate Chance in Nantes (September), the Climate Week NYC (September) and the Pre-COP in Rabat (September). (Synthesis report on the submissions)

On 28 October 2016, the champions made publicly available their reflections on the way forward, as a prelude to the Global Climate Action at COP 22. This document served as basis for consultations with Parties and non-Party stakeholders during COP 22.

During the two weeks at COP 22, the champions socialized the 'Reflections on the Way Forward' with Parties and observers in order to gather their inputs. Based on these consultations, the champions finalized their proposal for the future of global climate action and on 17 November presented and published the Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action.