Andy Raine - New Executive Secretary of CMS and ASCOBANS

Andy Raine begins term as New Executive Secretary of the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) 

Bonn, 1 June 2026 - The UNEP/AEWA Secretariat warmly welcomes Andy Raine who begins his term as the new Executive Secretary of the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), effective Monday, 1 June 2026. In his role, Mr. Raine will also serve as the Executive Secretary of the Agreement on the Conservation of Small Cetaceans of the Baltic, North EastAtlantic, Irish and North Seas (ASCOBANS). 

Mr. Raine brings over two decades of experience in international environmental law and governance, including in multilateral environmental processes. He has served with the United Nations since 2009 through posts in New York with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in Bangkok with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, and most recently in Nairobi at UNEP headquarters, where he served as Deputy Director of the Law Division and Head of International Environmental Law. 

“I am excited to join the CMS Secretariat at this critical moment for biodiversity. Migratory species connect ecosystems, countries, and people, sustaining the natural systems on which communities, livelihoods and economies depend,” said Andy Raine.  

Prior to serving with the United Nations, Mr. Raine worked in the private sector for six years with leading international law firms in the United Kingdom and Australia, where he qualified as a lawyer. 

He holds a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) and Business (Management) from the University of Queensland, as well as a Master of Laws (Environmental Law and Policy) from University College London. He also served as a Visiting Academic at Oxford University. 

Mr. Raine succeeds Amy Fraenkel, who served as Executive Secretary of CMS and ASCOBANS from 13 May 2019 to 31 May 2026. 

The UNEP/AEWA Secretariat looks forward to working with Mr. Raine and continuing the close collaboration with CMS on theshared mission of conserving migratory waterbirds and their habitats.