Ambassador Gilles Bertrand is originally from Marseille, France, and studied business administration and political science. He has more than 20 years of experience in the European Union (EU) institutions, especially in foreign policy and international cooperation. He has also led social inclusion organisations. He has been Ambassador of the European Union to Colombia since September 28, 2021. 

Social communicator and youth leader from the municipality of El Tarra, Norte de Santander. She is president of the Municipal Youth Council and is a member of the Catatumbo Network of Young Leaders. She has led communication processes for development, youth participation and capacity building in rural areas of the territory, working on the production of strategic content to promote the recognition of the rights of rural youth.

Martha is a campesina from the Colombian Altillanura, agroecological producer and active defender of peasant rights. She is involved in several local, regional and national spaces for discussion and consensus-building, such as the National Committee of RENAF, with representation in the Colombian Agroecological Movement. 

Campesino leader from Montes de María, Bolívar, with a strong history in defending human rights and rural permanence. He leads the OPDs and the Agrarian Reform Committee in Zambrano, and promotes community organising in the Zona de Reserva Campesina Polígono 2. As a Territorial Social Dialogue manager with the CEV and JEP, he has helped clarify the impacts of armed conflict in his region.

Alba is the founder of the Red de Guardianes de Semillas de Vida, dedicated to preserving native and creole seeds in Colombia. Since 2006, she has also led the agroecological association Nuevas Raíces. With over 20 years of experience, she has worked alongside rural, Indigenous, and urban communities in southern Colombia.

An Agronomist specialized in crop protection and sustainable agribusiness, he has over 30 years of experience in the banana sector. He has held leadership roles in technical areas, consulting, and public management, promoting agricultural sustainability and productivity. He has collaborated with national and international organisations, with an ethical, proactive, and results-oriented approach.

Lawyer with more than 15 years of experience in people management, collective bargaining and legislative analysis. Specialized in public policies, negotiation strategies and competency-based management, with a focus on conflict resolution and continuous improvement of organizational processes. Committed to ethics, excellence and sustainable development.

An agronomist and the current Minister of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Rural Development of Haiti since June 13, 2024. With extensive experience in public administration, he has served as Secretary of State for Agricultural Recovery and Chief of Staff at the Ministry of Environment. His leadership focuses on revitalizing agriculture through land rehabilitation, irrigation systems, and support for fisheries production.

Dr. Zeina Jallad is Director of the Palestine Land Studies Center and Assistant Professor of International Law at AUB. With 20 years of UN experience across MENA, Switzerland, and Laos, she specializes in housing, land, and property rights. She holds a JSD and LLM from Columbia, is a legal advisor to the UN, and serves on Birzeit University’s Board. Her work has been published in leading international law journals.

Development economist and policy analyst, currently Senior Land Tenure Officer at FAO. Formerly with CIRAD, ILC, and University of Pretoria, his work focuses on land policy, agrarian reform, land acquisitions, and participatory governance. He has published widely in academic journals and with major publishers.

Gino Cocchiaro is a human rights lawyer, supporting civil society in shaping inclusive clean energy policies. With 15 years at Natural Justice in Kenya and South Africa, he has led community-driven legal work across Africa. Gino specialises in environmental justice, legal empowerment, and energy transition, advising on legal reforms and supporting grassroots organisations and environmental defenders

Tatiana Roa Avendaño is Colombia’s Vice Minister of Environmental Land Management. A political ecologist with over 30 years of experience, she champions ecological justice, territorial rights, and sustainable development. A PhD candidate at the University of Amsterdam, she has led grassroots resistance to extractivism and advocates for a just energy transition, community-led land-use planning, and climate justice.

Kleber Karipuna, an Indigenous leader from Amapá, Brazil, is Executive Coordinator of APIB and represents the Brazilian Amazon through COIAB. He also serves as Co-Chair of the Global Alliance of Territorial Communities. With a degree in environmental management and specialisation in indigenous project development, he is currently pursuing a master’s in human rights. 

Tobiko is an Indigenous Peoples’ rights advocate with expertise in securing communal tenure rights. He promotes Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) when engaging with communities. His mission is to ensure indigenous lands and territories are recognised and registered and envisions a future where women and youth are included in all spheres of society.

Lina Peñuela is the Amazon Regional Strategy Coordinator for the UK’s International Forest Unit. Based in Bogotá, she has led forest policy and climate finance programmes for six years. Previously, she worked with the Colombian government on land use and climate finance. She holds a degree in International Relations with a focus on Sustainable Development and Risk Management.

Karine Hertzberg is Forest and Climate Counselor at Norway’s Embassy in Colombia, previously with Norway’s International Climate and Forest Initiative (NICFI). She supports forest conservation efforts in Colombia, Ecuador, and the region. With over 20 years in climate policy, she led international negotiations on emissions and transparency. Karine holds a PhD in ecology from the University of Oslo.

Blanco Kiyongo is a young farmer and National President of the Ligue des Jeunes Paysans de la RDC. He is active in the CSIPM Youth Working Group engaging with the UN CFS, and serves as International Coordinator for Environment and Climate at the International Youth Network of La Francophonie. His work centers on youth leadership in sustainable agriculture, climate action, and inclusive food systems.