Event

Georgina O’Farrill

Commission for Environmental Cooperation
Head of Unit, Outreach and Partnerships
Facilitator

Georgina O’Farrill has more than fifteen years’ experience managing and leading international projects and programs with strong stakeholder engagement. As Head, Outreach and Partnerships for the Commission for Environmental Cooperation, Georgina oversees all opportunities to promote innovative, diverse and inclusive stakeholder engagement strategies and outreach efforts and facilitate collaborative and partnerships opportunities. She strongly believes that cooperation is the key to finding solutions to environmental challenges. Georgina holds a Ph.D. in Ecology and Conservation from McGill University (Quebec, Canada) and was born and raised in Mexico City.

Secretary Jason Chernow

Secretary of Environment, Climate Change, and Emergency Management, Otipemisiwak Métis Government

Jason Chernow is the elected Citizens’ representative for the Calgary Elbow Métis District, as well as the Secretary of Environment, Climate Change, and Emergency Managment for the Otipemisiwak Métis Government of The Métis Nation Within Alberta. Jason descends from proud Métis roots and grew up surrounded by a strong Métis community. Jason has a long background in working within indigenous organizations and Métis Government structures under a number of roles, and is dedicated to using his experience to bring Métis traditions and culture into our modern lifestyles.

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Sempúlyan Gonzales

National Assembly of First Nations Knowledge Keeper and BC Assembly of First Nations 2SLGBTQQIA+ Knowledge Keeper

My ancestors name is Sempúlyan. My Indian Status card name is Stewart Gonzales. I am 63 years old, Indian Day School & Residential School survivor. Father of 3, grandfather of 12 & great-grandfather of 13. For over 15 years I was a Cultural Language Teacher teaching our youngest population of Squamish from our babies, toddlers & 3-4 year olds. Providing them with traditional knowledge of our language, songs, dances, along with plant knowledge & our Squamish territory including village names prior to contact. My role in my community is Elected Official.

Dr. Alexandra Harrington

Lecturer in Law (Environment), Lancaster University Law School and Chair of the IUCN World Commission on Environmental Law Agreement on Plastic Pollution Task Force

Dr Alexandra R. Harrington is a Lecturer in Law (Environment) at the Lancaster University Law School and Chair of the IUCN World Commission on Environmental Law Agreement on Plastic Pollution Task Force. She has held two Fulbright terms in Canada at the Balsillie School of International Affairs, focusing on global governance issues, including the 2018–2019 Fulbright Canada Research Chair in Global Governance. She is the Director of Studies for the International Law Association of Colombia, International Legal Advisor, University of Silesia Just Transitions Committee, and sits on the editorial boards of multiple academic publications.

Dr Harrington is the author several books, including International Organizations and the Law (1^st edition 2018, 2^nd edition 2023), International Law and Global Governance: Treaty Regimes and Sustainable Development Goals Interpretation, Just Transitions and the Future of Law and Regulation, and The Future of Peace: Incorporation of Intergenerational Equity and Justice in Peace Treaties and Reconciliation Agreements. She routinely advises international organizations and governments on legal issues relating to climate change, governance issues, environmental law, sustainable development and international human rights law. She holds a Doctorate of Civil Law (McGill University Faculty of Law), in addition to a JD, LL.M. and BA degrees in Politics and History.

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Sanda Anjara Rakotomalala

National co-coordinator of GYBN Madagascar - member of GYBN Policy team 2024

Youth advocate for Biodiversity and early career researcher, interested in biodiversity policy and governance with a focus on youth meaningful participation, and social safeguards and equity in area-based conservation. Advocating for youth voices and developing program to support meaningful youth participation to implement the GBF in Madagascar. MSc in Forestry from the University of Antananarivo, research associate at the Forestry and Environment department, working on developping participation processes and building capacities of local communities and managers in Protected Areas of Madagascar to achieve an effective and equitable conservation.

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Basile van Havre

Department of the Environment and Climate Change
Director General, Special Advisor for Biodiversity

Basile van Havre is Director General, Special Advisor for Biodiversity, in the Department of the Environment and Climate Change of the Canadian federal government.

He has spent most of his 32-year career in the environmental field and the last 20 years with the Canadian Wildlife Service, leading policy and international affairs. He managed polar bears for Canada for over a decade and co-led migratory bird management in North America. He represented Canada in several negotiations (IUCN, CITES, etc.) and in 2018 he was appointed by the Parties for the Convention on Biodiversity to co-lead the Global Biodiversity Framework negotiations. Mr. van Havre holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering and an MBA from Laval University (Canada), lectures at Sciences Po-Paris and at the University of Ottawa. He received the first Global Excellence Award from the Biodiversity Law and Governance Society and the Canadian Public Service Excellence Award for his leadership in the development of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

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Justin Gulino

National Caucus of Environmental Legislators (NCEL)
Conservation Associate

Justin Gulino currently serves as the Conservation Associate at the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators (NCEL), a non-partisan organization that supports US state legislators in their environmental policies. In this role, he leads NCEL’s work on pollinators, invasive species, endangered species, and overarching biodiversity policy issues. Justin’s efforts focus on ensuring that lawmakers receive the natural and social science expertise and community input needed to craft effective legislation. While working at NCEL, Justin earned a Master’s degree in Environmental Economics and Policy from Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment. In January 2025, he will begin studying for a PhD in Ecology and Biodiversity in Wellington, New Zealand. His research will focus on how New Zealand’s capital city reversed avian biodiversity loss and how the city’s conservation success may be replicated elsewhere.

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Antoine Asselin-Ngyuen

Commission for Environmental Cooperation
Project Lead, Ecosystems

Antoine Asselin-Nguyen is a dedicated environmental professional currently serving as Project Lead in the Ecosystems Unit of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) in Montreal, Quebec. He plays a crucial role in managing projects that aim to protect and enhance the North American environment, work that involves coordinating efforts between Canada, Mexico, and the United States to address pressing environmental issues focusing particularly on pollinators, migratory birds, and grasslands conservation.

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Ana Cristina Posadas Garcia

ORMA | CEC Generation of Environmental Leaders Program
Co-founder

With a bachelor’s in environmental sciences and health from Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí and a master’s in wildlife conservation and management from Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica, Ana Cristina Posadas García has also completed various certificate programs in areas such as carbon markets, environmental education, water management and environmental law. She is cofounder of the Organization to Restore the Environment and Social Harmony (Organización para Restaurar el Medio Ambiente y la Armonía Social—ORMA), an association that works in San Luis Potosí and elsewhere in Mexico. She was a member of the Sustainable Development Advisory Committee of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales—Semarnat) and has participated in numerous conservation projects on protected natural areas, environmental restoration and sustainable forestry in collaboration with the National Forestry Commission (Comisión Nacional Forestal—Conafor), the National Protected Natural Areas Commission (Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas—Conanp) and various nongovernmental organizations.

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