Special Advisor, Africa Adaptation Initiative, Botswana

Executive Committee of the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage

Kulthoum Motsumi is the current special advisor of the Africa Adaptation Initiative (AAI). She has extensive experience in climate change adaptation and Loss and Damage in the African continent. Ms. Omari-Motsumi is a contributing author of the AR6 IPCC Africa chapter on adaptation finance. She served as a member of the Adaptation Committee of the UNFCCC, representing Africa and also served as the G77+China Coordinator on the Global Goal on adaptation for the UNFCCC. Currently, she is the lead negotiator on adaptation for the African Group of Negotiators and at the national level, she serves as a member of the Botswana National Climate Change Committee, leading on adaptation.

Chief Operating Officer of the Climate Change Directorate at the Ministry of Environment of Panama

Executive Committee of the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage 

Rooted in the Global South, Ana is passionate about transforming climate data into justice-driven action. She has spent her career pushing for solutions that center people, especially those most vulnerable, and believes that true climate leadership means listening, co-creating, and showing up with integrity. Whether designing early warning systems, training young negotiators, or negotiating for loss and damage support, Ana brings clarity, courage, and deep technical expertise to the table.

Ana Luisa Aguilar Candanedo is Panama’s Lead Climate Negotiator, Chief Operating Officer, and Senior Resilience Advisor at the Ministry of Environment. With a background in environmental engineering and a master’s in Hydroscience and Engineering  from TU Dresden, Ana works at the intersection of climate science, diplomacy, and frontline resilience. She has helped shape Panama’s most ambitious climate policies, mobilized millions in climate finance, and represents her country in high-stakes UNFCCC, UNCCD and CBD negotiations.

Assistant Director, International Climate Negotiations Branch, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Australia

Executive Committee of the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage

Jared Huntley has worked on international climate change issues since 2022 for the Australian Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. His areas of focus within the UNFCCC have included gender-responsive climate action, climate education, and youth empowerment – and he is particularly interested in advancing work that highlights human-rights approaches to enhancing efforts under the Paris Agreement. He has a passion for the natural world, including the cryosphere and the immense changes it is undergoing.

Advisor, Climate Policy Support Programme, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH

Executive Committee of the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage