Dr Jürgen Blaser is Professor for International Forestry and head of the research team on global forestry and change at the Bern University of Applied Sciences, School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences. He also acts as the Global Forest Advisor to the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. Between 2002 and 2011 he was the head of Environment Team and Deputy Director General of Intercooperation, the Swiss Organisation for Development and Cooperation. From 1996 to 2001 he was Senior Forestry Advisor at the World Bank. From 1981 to 1995 he worked in international forest cooperation with long-term assignments in Latin America, Africa, Asia and Central Asia. Mr Blaser was a former chair of the International Tropical Timber Council and author of various ITTO policy papers and guidelines, including the Status of Tropical Forest Management Reports 2005 and 2011. He has led the global evaluation of FAOs work in forest and forestry in 2012/13 and the UN Evaluation of the international arrangements on forests in 2014/2015. He is actively involved in the development of the work of FCPF and the FIP of the World Bank as member of the independent technical advisory panel. Prof. Blaser has served on the Boards of CIFOR, Tropenbos and Tropical Forest Foundation and is currently a board member of the Precious Woods Holding.