Ms. Thezi R. Mabuza is currently Deputy Commissioner at the National Consumer Commission after leaving the employment of Department of Trade and Industry as the Chief Director of National Liquor Authority. Previously, she was the senior manager for Skills Development and Administration at the Safety and Security Sector Education and Training Authority (SASSETA). She also held Directorship positions at the Department of Correctional Services responsible for Functional and Management Training and Training Standards.

Alisi Rabukawaqa-Nacewa works as a marine scientist with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, providing consultation on marine protected areas within Fiji and with communities” as protected oceans are a solution to climate change and the resilience of the Pacific people.

Alisi is one of Fiji leading ocean experts, who for the past decade has worked in environment conservation, climate activism and indigenous peoples traditional rights and knowledge advocacy.

She sits on the youth-led grassroots network 350.org Pacific Climate Warriors Council of Elders as the Melanesian representative, providing traditional knowledge on working with Pacific communities and indigenous perspectives to their climate justice work. She is also a member of the Indigenous Peoples Advisory Group for the Global Environment Facility as the Pacific representative.

Alisi is also one of the few Melanesian women who have sailed the world seas on a vaka, a traditional double-hulled canoe as part of the Te Mana o Te Moana (The Spirit of the Ocean) journey where sailors navigated waters across the Pacific Ocean œpromoting traditional sustainable shipping and ocean protection.

Vanda Radzik is Co-founder of Red Thread. She is a Guyanese and Caribbean feminist, committed to Human Rights, Gender Equality and Climate Justice. She is a graduate of the University of the West Indies in Cave Hill. Expertise in Participatory Methodologies and Participatory Research for Action. Served as Country Coordinator - Canada-Caribbean Gender Equality Programme Fund and on the UN Women Caribbean Civil Society Advisory Group. Currently serving on Gender Technical Working Group of the "Spotlight" initiative. Conducted participatory Diagnostic Survey "Access to Justice" for Guyanese Indigenous Women.

Her REDD+ work focuses on its potential benefits and risks for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities. Served on Multi-Stakeholder group of the Low Carbon Development Strategy; currently member of National Standard Setting Working Group for forest certification.

She is a Civil Society member of the Multi-Stakeholder Group of the Guyana Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative. Contributed to Iwokrama Centre for Rain Forest Conservation and Development and mechanisms for inclusive participation, representation, decision-making, benefit-sharing and gender equality with its Indigenous partners. Helped establish and is Trustee of Bina Hill Indigenous Youth Learning Centre. National Awards include Golden Arrow of Achievement (AA); Iwokrama for outstanding service and Woman of Distinction.

His Excellency Bob Rae was elected the President of the 2025 session (July 2024 to July 2025) of the Economic and Social Council on 25 July 2024. 

He is currently the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations. Before his appointment by the Government of Canada, Mr. Rae served as Canada’s special envoy on humanitarian and refugee issues, continuing the important work that he began in 2017 as Canada’s special envoy to Myanmar while also addressing other pressing humanitarian and refugee issues around the world.

The former premier of Ontario and former interim leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, Mr. Rae was elected 11 times to federal and provincial parliaments between 1978 and 2013. He stepped down as a member of Parliament in 2013 to return to legal practice and, in particular, to work with Indigenous communities and continue his work in education, governance and human rights. His passion for social justice dates back to his early days in student politics and community service.

Before his appointment as Permanent Representative, Mr. Rae was senior counsel at Olthuis Kleer Townshend LLP. In addition to his legal practice, he taught at the University of Toronto in the School of Public Policy and Governance, in the Faculty of Law and at Massey College and Victoria University, and he was a fellow of the Forum of Federations, Massey College and the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights. He has also worked as a mediator and arbitrator with ADR Chambers. A former partner at Goodmans LLP, Mr. Rae led the restructuring of the Canadian Red Cross and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and chaired the board of the Royal Conservatory of Music. He is the author of 5 books and a number of government reports.

Mr. Rae is a privy councillor, a companion of the Order of Canada and a member of the Order of Ontario and has numerous awards and honorary degrees from institutions in Canada and around the world. He received his Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in Modern History from the University of Toronto and a Master of Philosophy degree as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University, and graduated from the University of Toronto Faculty of Law. 
 

Dr Ketakandriana (“Ke”) is a respected political scientist, researcher, activist, and human rights defender. She is the Vice Chair of Transparency International’s Board of Directors, a member of the International Board of the Fisheries Transparency Initiative (FiTI), and of the African Women Against Corruption Network’s Advisory Board.

With extensive experience in the energy and the governance (anti corruption, transparency, accountability) sectors, Ke has been engaged within national, regional and international civil society for almost 20 years, notably as the Executive Director of Transparency International Initiative Madagascar. 

Yalchin Rafiyev is the Lead Negotiator for COP29 Azerbaijan.

Mr. Rafiyev serves as Deputy Foreign Minister and has worked at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for almost two decades. He has served in multiple roles to advance multilateral diplomacy, including as Third and Second Secretary at the Permanent Mission of Azerbaijan to the UN Office in Vienna and the First Secretary at the Permanent Mission of Azerbaijan to the UN Office in Geneva.

He has led the International Security Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan for some five years. Mr. Rafiyev holds an Honours degree from Baku State University and has completed post-graduate programs at the NATO Defense College and the International Anti-Corruption Academy.
In his role as Lead Negotiator, Mr. Rafiyev will work with the 198 Parties to the UNFCCC to build consensus and refine potential landing zones for the negotiations based on a shared vision of success, all within a fair and transparent process.

Sean Rafter, Managing Director of HELP Logistics AG, spearheads innovative research, education, and consultancy programs to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of humanitarian logistics. With over 13 years in the field, he is dedicated to optimizing supply chains to aid crisis-affected communities worldwide.

Sean holds a Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng.) in Mechanical Engineering, blending his technical understanding with strategic management skills to tackle complex operational challenges across varied settings, including Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Europe.

Previously, Sean significantly contributed to Save the Children International as the Head of Logistics in Asia, where he led strategic logistics planning and implementation across 15 countries.

His tenure as Emergency Logistics Manager across 7 countries further demonstrated his capacity for enhancing logistical operations in challenging environments. Sean's strategic vision focuses on advancing humanitarian logistics, through innovation, transformation, and collaboration; reflecting his unwavering commitment to fostering meaningful change in humanitarian efforts globally.

Mahbubur Rahman leads the Ministry of Commerce of Bangladesh Government as Secretary. He has three decades of experience in international trade, export promotion, trade facilitation and customs administration. 

A veteran trade official, Mr. Rahman is spearheading the efforts of the Government of Bangladesh to efficiently manage the international and domestic trade portfolio in the midst of trade turbulences in the global level.

An MBA of the Institute of Business Administration, the premier business school of Bangladesh, he was further educated on international relations at the China Foreign Affairs University.