Mr. Tiéga, a citizen of Niger, holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science degree in Forest and Watershed Management. He has many years of experience in working with wetland conservation and sustainable use both at local level and internationally. He was involved in the environmental administration of Niger; one of his functions was that of National Director of Wildlife and Fisheries. He worked as IUCN's Regional Coordinator in West Africa, as Senior Adviser for the Ramsar Convention in Switzerland, and as Project Manager for a GEF project in N'Dajmena, Chad. During his six years at the Ramsar Convention, he established productive relationships within the Ramsar family as well as with partner authorities.