Ms. Juliette Biao Koudenoukpo is a national of Benin and a Canadian Citizen. She is the current Director of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) Secretariat. She has a wealth of experience in international development and 33 cumulative years managing complex initiatives in Africa, Latin America, and Canada with a focus on the environment, community livelihood, and gender equality. As the first female forester in West Africa, Ms. Biao pioneered ground-breaking initiatives.
Ms. Biao joined the UNFF Secretariat from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Nairobi where she served as the Director and Regional Representative for Africa. She worked with the Canadian Crossroads International as the Director of Programs. She also served the Canadian Centre for International Studies and Cooperation as the Regional Director for Africa, as well as with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Regional Office for West Africa.
Ms. Biao served as Benin’s Minister of Environment and Nature Protection as well as Acting Minister of Family and the Child.
She holds an M.Sc. in Forestry economics, a PhD in Public Policy and Administration, and numerous other certificates for which she gained academic accolades. She has won Green Future Leadership Award and was named Commander of the National Order of Merit