New Executive Board for the Spanish Committee of the World Conservation Union

Carlos Sánchez Martínez, President of “Fundación Naturaleza y Hombre”, unanimously elected for the Presidency 2007 – 2010

The Extraordinary Assembly of the IUCN Spanish Committee – which took place in Malaga last September – has elected, unanimously, the new Executive Board for the period 2007 – 2010. Carlos Sánchez, president of “Fundación Naturaleza y Hombre”, will lead this new executive team, while María Artola, director of “Fundación Biodiversidad” will be as as vice-president. This decision takes place one year before the IUCN Word Conservation Congress which will be held in Barcelona – October 2008 –and will count with the participation of about 8000 delegates from all over the world.

The new management group of the Spanish committee is composed by other 6 members – Marine Environment Conservation; Conservation in Iberoamerica and Environmental Cooperation for Development; Biodiversity; Town Planning and Infrastructures; Education and Awareness; and Protected Areas – which will be under the lead of the following team:

1. Marine Environmment Conservation: Juan Antonio López Jaime, representing Aula del Mar.
2. Latin America and Environmental Cooperation for Development: Eduardo Galante Patiño, president of the Spanish Association of Entomology and director of the Iberoamerican Biodiversity Centre (CIBIO) of the University of Alicante.
3. Biodiversity: Miquel Rafa Fornieles, Head of the Department on Land Management of “Fundación Territorio y Paisaje”.
4. Town Planning and Infrastructures: Theo Oberhuber, general coordinator of “Ecologistas en Acción”.
5. Education and Awareness José Ángel Arranz Sanz, Director general of Natural Environment  of “Junta de Castilla y León”
6. Protected Areas: Rosario Pintos Director general of the Network of Natural Protected Areas and Environmental Services (RENPSA), Consejería de Medio Ambiente, Andalousian government.

Working areas proposed by the new board for 2007 – 2010 are based on the promotion of strategies and projects towards the preservation of Spanish natural heritage during the World Conservation Congress; coordination of common actions with Iberoamerican countries; and the promotion of the euro-Mediterranean environmental perspective through the strengthening of links with the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation, located in Malaga.

The new president
Carlos Sánchez Martínez (Cantabria, 1969) is replacing Eduardo Galante Patiño. He is a technical expert on Agriculture and holds a degree on Protected Natural Areas and on Environmental Management by the Autonomous University of Madrid. He is also founding president of the conservationist organisation “Fundación Naturaleza y Hombre”, which works for nature conservation since 1994 and the development of awareness campaign and environmental education in several Spanish communities.

The Spanish National Committee
The IUCN Spanish Committee is formally recognised by IUCN and aims to develop IUCN programmes, activities and initiatives in the country. It also plays a key role on the establishment of priorities and the organisation of the programme implementation within its geographic areas of influence.

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