Joint UNCTAD-UNECE webinar on inclusive economic diversification and energy transition

Miho Shirotori is the Acting Director of the Division on International Trade and Commodities (DITC) of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

Miho also leads a team of experts that assess how trade agreements, trade in services, and the creative economy contribute to inclusive and sustainable economic diversification.

Her expertise includes “equitable” trade in agriculture for least developed countries, low-income countries, and net food-importing developing countries.

Miho represents UNCTAD in global conferences and various inter-agency activities, including the UN inter-agency task force that monitors the implementation of the Addis Ababa Action Plan for the Financing for Development.

Dario is the Director of Sustainable Energy at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), a region that includes 56 member States in North America, Europe and Asia. In this capacity, he provides analysis, policy advice and assistance to governments for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreements and to facilitate international cooperation in energy within and outside the region. His professional experience in the energy space spans almost 30 years. Prior to joining UNECE, Dario was the Chief Underwriting Officer at SACE, the Italian State Guarantee Agency, responsible for export credit, the EU Green New Deal and the guarantees under the EU Temporary Framework. 

Before joining SACE, Dario spent more than a decade with General Electric (GE), where he was responsible for project financing activities, corporate strategy & business development, corporate finance and investment banking, later serving as Global Head of Government and Export finance, managing the group’s relations with export credit agencies and international financial institutions. He previously worked at the Council of Europe Development Bank and with the European Commission. His career started at Cargill.  

Dario Liguti has a MSc in Economics from Bocconi University (Milan) and a MA in EU Law from Leicester University (UK).
 

Clovis Freire Junior is Chief, Commodity Research and Analysis Section, Commodities Branch, of the Division on International Trade and Commodities of UNCTAD in Geneva. He is an Economist specialized in economic diversification and strategies for building productive capacities in developing countries. His work supports the structural transformation and sustainable development of commodity-dependent developing countries. He has over 20 years of work experience in the United Nations in programmes related to commodity dependence, least developed countries, technology and innovation for development, and disaster risk reduction. He holds a degree in Computer Engineering from the Technological Institute of Aeronautics (ITA), Brazil, a Master’s degree in Computer Sciences from the University de Brasília (UnB), an MBA in Strategic Management of Information Systems from the Fundação Getúlio Vargas (FGV), Brazil, and a PhD in Economics from the Maastricht University, in Maastricht, the Netherlands.

Harikrishnan “Hari” Tulsidas is an Economic Affairs Officer in the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) with over 30 years of experience in natural resources and materials management. He has worked with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Department of Atomic Energy, India in the past. Currently, Mr Tulsidas is the technical advisor for the United Nations Framework Classification for Resources (UNFC) and United Nations Resource Management System (UNRMS). He has led over 50 international technical cooperation and collaborative research projects in sustainable resource development in over 80 countries and has authored over 100 publications.

Simon P. Michaux is an Associate Professor of Geometallurgy at the Geological Survey of Finland (GTK) in the Circular Economy Solutions Unit (KTR). He has a basic degree in Bachelor of Applied Science in Physics and Geology, and a Ph.D. in Mining Engineering from the JKMRC University of Queensland. With 18 years of work experience in the Australian mining industry in research and development, 12 months at Ausenco in the private sector, and 3 years in Belgium at the University of Liege researching Circular Economy and industrial recycling, Simon has a wealth of knowledge in the field. In Finland, he has worked at GTK in the Minerals Intelligence in the MTR unit before joining the KTR. Simon's main focus is on developing mineral processing and geometallurgy. His long-term objectives include transforming the Circular Economy into a more practical system for the industrial ecosystem to navigate the twin challenges of the scarcity of technology minerals and the transition away from fossil fuels.

Frances Wall is a Professor of Applied Mineralogy at the Camborne School of Mines (CSM), University of Exeter. Her research interests are focused on critical raw materials, specifically rare earth elements and lithium, with a global perspective on geology, responsible sourcing, processing, and circular economy. Frances is leading the UKRI Met4Tech circular economy centre for technology metals (Met4Tech.org), a member of the UK Critical Minerals Expert Committee, and is involved in various critical minerals regional development projects in the South West of the UK. She is also a member of the UNECE UN Resource Management System sub-group of the Expert Group on Resource Management and a non-executive director of E-Tech Resources, which is exploring for rare earths in Namibia. Frances is a recipient of the William Smith medal of the Geological Society of London for her contribution to the applied and economic aspects of geology and was named one of the 100 Global Inspirational Women in Mining in 2016.

Sonia is the Lead Sustainability Specialist at the International Tin Association (“ITA”) where she is supporting the world’s largest tin producers, and the global tin industry, in demonstrating commitment to sustainability and achieving positive local development, including through effective stakeholder engagement. Sonia is a legal professional specializing in global environment and climate change law. Before joining the ITA and the tin sector, she advised private and non-profit organisations on human rights and sustainability projects in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.Sonia is the Lead Sustainability Specialist at the International Tin Association (“ITA”) where she is supporting the world’s largest tin producers, and the global tin industry, in demonstrating commitment to sustainability and achieving positive local development, including through effective stakeholder engagement. Sonia is a legal professional specializing in global environment and climate change law. Before joining the ITA and the tin sector, she advised private and non-profit organisations on human rights and sustainability projects in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.