Policy

lexandra Oliveira Pinto joined IDDRI in 2023 as a research fellow on international Ocean governance. As part of the Ocean team, she is mainly interested in Ocean governance and the effective implementation of marine protected areas on the high seas. A graduate of the Guillaume Apollinaire class of the French National Institute of Public Service (formerly ENA), she also completed a master's degree in International and European Public Action at the Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University. Her master's thesis focused on the role of non-state actors in the UN Ocean Conference. Alexandra is a graduate of the Ibero-Latin-American campus of Sciences Po Paris and holds a master's degree in Environmental Policy from the same institution. Alexandra has experience as a consultant in sponsorship, education, and Ocean governance, collaborating with various French public service organizations in Portugal. She has also contributed to projects at the Galapagos National Park in Ecuador and the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve in Mexico. She is fluent in Portuguese, French, Spanish, and English.

Francis began his career working on coral reefs for the French Ministry of the Environment, followed by a position at the World Bank’s Environment Department in Washington, D.C., before becoming an independent consultant. For 18 months (2012/2013), he provided technical assistance to the World Heritage Marine Programme in Paris. Based in London since 2013, he founded Blue Pangolin Consulting, a consultancy dedicated to the conservation and sustainable use of marine, coastal, and terrestrial resources. For the past 25 years, Francis was been involved with the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI), serving as a strategic advisor to most of the governments that chaired the initiative, including the United States of America, France, Australia, Japan, and Monaco. He continues to advise the French Government’s Coral Reef Initiative (IFRECOR). Francis serves on the advisory board of the Coral Triangle Conservation Fund, based in Indonesia. He is a co-editor of the latest GCRMN Status of Coral Reefs of the World report and, in recognition of his significant contributions to coral reef conservation, received the Coral Reef Conservation Award from the International Coral Reef Society in 2024. He is also a member of the Expert Assessment Group for the Green List (EAGL) for Mediterranean Marine Protected and Conserved Areas. More recently, Francis has focused on the conservation and governance of the High Seas. He is currently acting as Technical Director for a project supporting the ratification and early implementation of the High Seas Treaty (Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction – BBNJ Agreement). He is a member of the IUCN WCPA, several working groups (BBNJ, sustainable financing) for IMPAC6, a member of the DOSI Deep Sea on BBNJ working group, and numerous High Seas Alliance working Groups (including ABMT/MPAs; BBNJ financing; and, IFBs and RFMOs). In addition, he has been appointed as a member of the Programme Committee for the 2027 Ocean Decade Conference to help play a key role in shaping its vision, themes, and impact, and will serves as “Expert Advisor” for the Earthshot Prize 2026.

Sustainability specialist with 8+ years of experience in governance, project management, policy development, and stakeholder engagement in the fields of sustainability, climate action, and source-to-sea management. Skilled in partnership building, stakeholder relations, and coordinating international initiatives aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals.

I have been working as a blue economy, marine conservation and fisheries consultant since 2010. Also, I am expanding my experience into climate change and biodiversity conservation-related topics; I am especially interested in the overlap between blue carbon, climate change and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

With over eight years of experience in international ocean governance, I have worked at the intersection of science, law and policy to support governments, regional organisations and multilateral processes in developing, negotiating and implementing effective conservation measures. My academic foundation in public international law, including a Master's thesis on overfishing on the high seas, has shaped my understanding of the governance challenges related to shared natural resources. Professionally, I contributed to environmental policy work at the European Parliament and at ClientEarth, analysing and shaping legislation under the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund. In these roles, I developed strong analytical and policy-advice skills. As Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI) in Paris, I lead multi-partner projects supporting governments and regional organisations as they navigate complex multilateral ocean negotiations. In recent years, my work has focused extensively on the BBNJ Agreement, supporting governments in West Africa, South America and the Western Indian Ocean to assess the Agreement’s implications, identify capacity needs and articulate strategic positions in global fora. My current work addresses implementation challenges for high seas marine protected areas, particularly regarding monitoring, control and surveillance and financing considerations, reinforcing my commitment to practical, evidence-based governance.

Kong Mukwele Sheila is a Cameroonian legal scholar, diplomat, and ocean governance expert specializing in international law of the sea, marine environmental governance, and sustainable blue economy policy. She currently serves within Cameroon’s Ministry of External Relations, where she contributes to international cooperation, maritime policy, and environmental diplomacy. Sheila holds a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Buea, a Master’s degree in International Relations with a specialization in international disputes, and a Diploma in Foreign Affairs from the International Relations Institute of Cameroon (IRIC). Her interdisciplinary background bridges law, policy, and international governance systems, with a strong regional focus on the Gulf of Guinea. Her research and professional work center on marine protected areas, illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, ocean-climate governance, and institutional frameworks for sustainable ocean management. She has contributed to international ocean governance initiatives, including collaboration with the United Nations Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (DOALOS), and has participated in global policy dialogues on marine conservation and climate resilience. Sheila is a recipient of the United Nations–Nippon Foundation Fellowship and the Alexander von Humboldt International Climate Protection Fellowship. She has also been a Visiting Scientist at the United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS) and a guest researcher with the OSPAR Commission. Her publications address regional ocean governance, marine biodiversity protection, and plastic pollution in African seas. Her work is driven by a commitment to strengthening legal and institutional frameworks for ocean governance in Africa and advancing globally coordinated solutions to marine environmental challenges.

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Maritime and shipping compliance professional with five years' experience across regulatory affairs, audit leadership and vessel certification. At the Sierra Leone Maritime Administration, I managed crew and vessel compliance against STCW, ILO/MLC 2006, ISM Code, MARPOL and SOLAS, led audit cycles and corrective action programmes (OPRC & ISM, 2021–2023), and conducted Port State Control inspections across foreign- and nationally-flagged vessels. I hold an MSc in Maritime Affairs from the World Maritime University, Malmö, and gained further shipping-sector exposure through a compliance internship at DREV Tech, Gothenburg. I bring hands-on regulatory, audit and stakeholder-coordination expertise spanning flag-state administration, port operations and international maritime governance.

Expert Nationale titulaire d'un master en gestion de la politique économique et de projet de développement économique social et durable, spécialiste dans les domaines de la politique Agricole sécurité alimentaire et nutritionnelle , coordonnateur national d'une ONG nationale œuvrant dans les domaines de la mise en place de l'Agriculture intelligente, de l'assistance humanitaire en situation d'urgence de l'anticipation de la gestion et de la prévention de l'analyse des conflits de la protection de l'environnement de la biodiversité et de la gestion durable des ressources naturelles de développement économique social et durable , de la lutte contre l'insécurité alimentaire de recherche de renforcement des capacités des communautés locales vulnérables, dans les domaines de l'entreprenariat rural de WASH, santé et nutrition, d recherche collecte des données collecte des données de l'analyse de traitement de stockage et de la publication, de la protection et de la défense des droit des jeunes femmes rurales.

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Mr. Anada Tiega has 36 years of experience including: GEF programs & Project formulation and implementation, including TDA/SAP process. Policies/Strategies, Action Plan, Management Plans, Landscape Management, and Legislative Framework for: • Improvement of livelihoods and Resilience of people and ecosystems • Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) • Wetlands and Watershed Management. • Climate Change mitigation and Adaptation, including : - Assessment of Vulnerability of People and Ecosystems - Development of Action Plans, using Ecosystems-based Adaptation - Options Analysis to identify and implement realistic pilot actions • Biodiversity Conservation and sustainable use, including Forest and Wildlife management, Protected Areas Management. • Soils and Water Conservation and Restoration

Tom is a senior marine conservation consultant specialising in ocean governance, coral reef conservation and the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction. Based in the UK, his work focuses on the design, coordination and evaluation of international programmes that translate science into policy relevant and operational outcomes. At Blue Pangolin Consulting, Tom implements and coordinates complex, multi-partner initiatives for governments, intergovernmental organisations and philanthropic partners. He holds key roles in the formulation and delivery of large-scale programmes supporting the ratification and early implementation of the High Seas Treaty, contributing technical and policy inputs across area-based management tools, capacity development and programme design. Tom previously provided strategic and organisational support to the International Coral Reef Initiative as Strategic Adviser, working with successive government chairs to strengthen governance processes and policy influence. He continues to play a central role in global coral reef assessment through his ongoing work with the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network, where he supports editorial coordination and technical oversight for regional and global reporting. He is a co-editor of the Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2025, co-edited the Status and Trends of Coral Reefs of the Pacific: 1980 – 2023, and co-authored of the Status and Trends of Caribbean Coral Reefs: 1970–2025. Tom is a member of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas and the IUCN SSC Coral Specialist Group, a member of the DOSI Deep Sea on BBNJ working group, and numerous High Seas Alliance working Groups (including ABMT/MPAs; BBNJ financing; and, IFBs and RFMOs). He is recognised for delivering technically rigorous, policy relevant outputs that support effective ocean governance, coral reef conservation and High Seas implementation.