2026/001: Appointment of Acting Executive Secretary

The UNEP/AEWA Secretariat would like to announce that Mr. Sergey Dereliev has been appointed as Acting Executive Secretary of the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA). Mr. Dereliev took up this temporary assignment on 7 January 2026 for an initial period of one year.

Mr. Dereliev brings more than 30 years of professional experience in the nature conservation sector, with a particular focus on (water)bird and wetland conservation. He has served in the UNEP/AEWA Secretariat for over 21 years in a range of senior technical and managerial roles, most recently as Chief Programmatic Officer.

This appointment follows the decision of the 9^th session of the Meeting of the Parties (Resolution 9.9), which requested the UNEP Executive Director to postpone the recruitment of a new Executive Secretary and in the interim appoint an Acting Executive Secretary until the financial situation of the Agreement has improved and stabilised. The regular recruitment process for the Executive Secretary position will be undertaken at a future date.

A key priority for AEWA is to address the low liquidity of the AEWA Trust Fund and the broader budgetary challenges facing the Agreement. The Secretariat will be keeping close communication with the Parties on these matters. 

The Secretariat remains committed to providing the highest possible standards of service to the Parties during this period.