Mr. René Castro-Salazar is a Civil Engineer from the Universidad de Costa Rica, A Master in Public Administration and Doctor of Design, both degrees awarded by Harvard University. Mr. Castro-Salazar held several ministerial positions in Costa Rica, such as Minister of Natural Resources, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Environment and Energy between 1994 and 2014. Has lectured in prestigious universities such as Harvard, Tokyo, Yale, Zurich Tech, INCAE and in several other Latin American Universities. Author of articles about policy, energy, sustainable development and climate change. UN/FAO appointed Mr. Castro-Salazar as Assistant-Director-General in 2016, and he is leading the Climate Biodiversity, Land and Water Department.