Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations and Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), has carved a unique path in environmental law and global biodiversity initiatives. A Tanzanian lawyer and diplomat, Mrema has spent decades shaping global environmental policy and fostering multilateral cooperation to address the planet’s most pressing ecological challenges.
Mrema’s journey in environmental law and diplomacy began in Tanzania, where she worked for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation as a Senior Legal Counsel. She later transitioned to UNEP, a move that would mark the start of her distinguished international career. Her work within UNEP’s legal frameworks has spanned over two decades, during which she held a variety of pivotal roles, including Senior Legal Officer and Chief of the Multilateral Environmental Agreements Support and Cooperation Branch and Principal Legal Officer for the Biodiversity/Land Law and Governance Branch.
Her deep expertise in environmental law propelled her to even more prominent positions, including serving as Director of the UNEP Law Division and Deputy Director of the Ecosystems Division. Mrema’s tenure has seen her address complex issues around biodiversity, sustainable land management, and international cooperation. Her guidance has helped establish legal frameworks that encourage nations to work together in conserving critical ecosystems, setting the foundation for protecting species and habitats in a time of rapid environmental change.
Between 2009 and 2012, Mrema served as the Executive Secretary for the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, the Acting Executive Secretary of the Agreement on the Conservation of Small Cetaceans of the Baltic, North East Atlantic, Irish, and North Seas, and the Interim Executive Secretary of the UNEP/Gorilla Agreement. Her work in these roles centered on safeguarding species whose migration paths transcend national borders, an essential aspect of global conservation.
Mrema’s commitment to biodiversity took on new dimensions when she was appointed Executive Secretary of the Secretariat for the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) from 2020 to 2023. Under her stewardship, the CBD achieved a significant milestone with the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, a groundbreaking agreement to protect and restore ecosystems globally. This framework is one of the most comprehensive international commitments to biodiversity to date.
In addition to her UN roles, Mrema co-chairs the Task Force on Nature-related Financial Disclosures, which guides companies in understanding and managing the risks and impacts of their activities on nature. This initiative aligns closely with her work at UNEP, where she consistently advocated for integrating environmental responsibility into all sectors, recognizing that sustainable development depends on private and public sector accountability.
Throughout her career, Mrema has been recognized for her contributions. She was awarded the Nicolas Robinson Award for Excellence in Environmental Law in 2021 by the IUCN World Commission on Environmental Law and received the Kew International Award in 2022. In 2023, she was included in both Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People list and the Financial Times’ 25 Most Influential Women list, honoring her impact on environmental governance and advocacy.
