Original URL: https://www.theregister.com/2010/05/17/climate_change_post/

Costa Rican elbows out South African as UN climate boss

SA not small and powerless enough, insist delegates

By John Oates

Posted in Science, 17th May 2010 13:39 GMT

A Costa Rican bureaucrat is set to take the top job at the United Nations climate convention after a mini-revolt from small island states.

South African Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk was in line for the post until the intervention from several smaller countries asking for a representative from a smaller developing nation, the Beeb reports.

Christina Figueres has been negotiating for Costa Rica at the UN since the mid-90s. Before that she was in the Costa Rican diplomatic service and prior to that she was chief of staff for the minister of agriculture.

Figueres has published several books and articles on climate change. Her appointment is expected to be officially announced later this week.

Her full CV is available from here. ®