Forest genetic resources

National Focal Points

The primary role of the National Focal Points is to liaise between the Secretary of the Intergovernmental Technical Working Group on Forest Genetic Resources and their country on matters related to forest genetic resources. Furthermore, the National Focal Points are expected to initiate and coordinate, as appropriate, the preparation of country reports on forest genetic resources.

Through Circular State Letters C/CBD-7 of 22 May 2017 (available in Arabic, English, French, Russian and Spanish) and C/CBD-10 of 18 June 2019 (available in Arabic, English, French, Russian and Spanish), FAO invited Members to update their nominations of National Focal Points for monitoring the implementation of the Global Plan of Action for the Conservation, Sustainable Use and Development of Forest Genetic Resources and for the preparation of The Second Report on the State of the World’s Forest Genetic Resources.

List of officially nominated National Focal Points on forest genetic resources

Updated 16 September 2024

Country

Role

Name

Position

Organization

Angola

National Focal Point

Francisca MANDE

Head of Provincial Department (the Bengo province)

Forest Development Institute

Antigua and Barbuda

National Focal Point

Adriel THIBOU

Senior Forestry Officer

Ministry of Agriculture

Argentina

National Focal Point

Diego LÓPEZ LAUESTEIN   

Centro de Investigaciones Agropecuarias - INTA

Argentina

Alternate

María Gabriela GARCÍA CIUFFANI

Dirección Nacional de Desarrollo Foresto Industrial, Secretaria de Bioeconomía, Ministerio de Economía

Armenia

National Focal Point

Arusyak SIRADEGHYAN

Head of Forest Committee

Ministry of Environment

Australia

National Focal Point

Claire HOWELL

Senior Scientist, Manager of National Forest Inventory

Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences

Austria

National Focal Point

Heino KONRAD

Head of Ecological Genetics Unit

 

Department of Forest Biodiversity and Nature Conservation, Austrian Research Centre for Forests

Bahamas

National Focal Point

Ingeria MILLER

Senior Forestry Officer

Forest Unit, Ministry of the Environment and Housing

Barbados

National Focal Point

Michelle WILSON-HOWARD

Senior Agricultural Assistant

Soil Conservation Unit, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security

Belarus

National Focal Point

Oleg BARANOV

Chief Research Officer

Genetics and Biotechnology Laboratory, Forest Institute of the National Academy of Science of Belarus

Belgium

National Focal Point

Alain SERVAIS

Comptoir forestier

Département de la Nature et des Forêts, Région Wallone

Benin

National Focal Point

Enock SEKO N’GOYE

Directeur de la Faune, de la Biodiversitéet de la Conservation de la Nature

Direction Générale des Eaux, Forêts et Chasse, Ministére du Cadre de Vie et du Developpement Durable

Botswana

National Focal Point

Tawana Tanaka MAUNGANIDZE

Principal Forest and Range Resources Officer

Department of Forestry and Range Resources, Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism

Brazil

National Focal Point

Valderês Aparecida DE SOUSA

Researcher

EMBRAPA Florestas

Bulgaria   

National Focal Point

Maria BELOVARSKA

Director

Forest Seed Central Station – Sofia, Executive Forest Agency

Burkina Faso

National Focal Point

Edith DABOUE

Directeur Général

Centre National des Semences Forestière

Cabo Verde

National Focal Point

Alexandre RIBEIRO CENTEIO

General Directorate of Agriculture, Forestry and Livestock

Cameroon

National Focal Point

Jean Daniel MENDOMO BIANG

Sous-directeur des inventaires et des aménagements forestiers

Ministére des Foréts et de la Faune

Canada

National Focal Point

Laurie SAULNIER

Senior Policy Analyst

Natural Resources Canada - Canadian Forest Service

Central African Republic

National Focal Point

Koffi Lévy OUALENGBE

Ingénieur des Eaux et Forêts

Ministrére des Eaux, Foréts, Chasse et Péche

Chile

National Focal Point

Antonio VARAS MYRIK 

Director Centro de semillas, genética y entomología

Corporación Nacional Forestal (CONAF)

China

National Focal Point

Yongqi ZHENG

Professor and Director of the Forest Genetic Resources Center

Chinese Academy of Forestry

Colombia

National Focal Point

Nathalia Rocio CASAS ORTIZ

Coordinadora del Grupo de Recursos Genéticos

Dirección de Bosques, Biodiversidad y Servicios Ecosistémicos, Ministerio de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible

Cook Islands

National Focal Point

William WIGMORE

Director, Crop Research Division

Ministry of Agriculture

Costa Rica

National Focal Point

Angela GONZÁLEZ GRAU

Directora Ejecutiva

Oficina Técnica de la Comisión Nacional para la Gestión de la Biodiversidad (CONAGEBIO)

Croatia

National Focal Point

Ivana PEŠUT

Head of Department 

Ministry of Agriculture

Cuba

National Focal Point

Orlidia HECHEVARRÍA KINDELÁN

Investigadora

Instituto de Investigaciones Agro-Forestales

Cyprus

National Focal Point

Areti CHRISTODOULOU

Conservator of Forests, Forest Management and Silviculture Officer 

Department of Forests, Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment

Czechia

National Focal Point

Vlasta KNOROVÁ

Forestry Officer

 

Ministry of Agriculture, Section of Forestry

Czechia

Alternate

Alžběta PAŘÍZKOVÁ

Forestry Officer

Forest Management Institute, Branch Hradec Králové

Denmark

National Focal Point

Gunnar FRIIS PROSCHOWSKY

Chief Consultant

Nature Agency, Ministry of Environment and Food

Dominica

National Focal Point

Bradley GUYE

Forestry Officer

Forestry, Wildlife and Parks Division, Ministry of Environment

Ecuador

National Focal Point

Nelly Judith PAREDES ANDRADE

Investigadora Agropecuaria del Departamento Nacional de Recursos Fitogenéticos de la Estación Experimental Central de la Amazonía

Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Agropucuarias (INIAP)

El Salvador

National Focal Point

Juan Antonio SALINAS GUTIÉRREZ

Técnico, División de Recursos Forestales

Dirección General de Ordenamiento Forestal, Cuencas y Riego (DGFCR), Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería

Estonia

National Focal Point

Maret PARV

Senior Officer

Forest Department, Ministry of the Environment

Eswatini

National Focal Point

Zachariah DLAMINI       

National Herbarium Curator

Department of Forestry, Ministry of Tourism & Environmental Affairs

Ethiopia

National Focal Point

Samson SHIMELIS   

Research Officer

Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute

Fiji

National Focal Point

Mere VUKIALAU        

Senior Scientific Officer, Silviculture Research Division

Ministry of Forestry

Finland

National Focal Point

Mari RUSANEN

Senior Specialist

Natural Resources Institute Finland

France

National Focal Point

Marc FOURNIER

Ministère de l'Agriculture et de la Souveraineté Alimentaire

France

Alternate

Euriel GODEBERT 

Secrétariat général des affaires européennes/Comité interministériel à l'alimentation et à l'agriculture     

Georgia

National Focal Point

Giorgi KAVTARADZE

Associate Professor

V. Gulisashvili Forest Institute, Agricultural University of Georgia

Germany

National Focal Point

Michaela HAVERKAMP

Senior Officer

Bundesanstalt für Landwirtschaft und Ernährung

Greece

National Focal Point

Evangelia AVRAMIDOU

Junior Researcher

Laboratory of Forest Genetics and Biotechnology, Institute of Mediterranean Forest Ecosystems

Greece

Alternate

Konstantinos SPANOS       

Research Director

Laboratory of Forest Genetics, Forest Species Improvement and Biotechnology, Forest Research Institute

Guatemala

National Focal Point

Ariel Estuardo NIEVES ANTILLÓN

Jefe de Semillas y Recursos Genéticos Forestales

Instituto Nacional de Bosques (INAB)

Guatemala

Alternate

Hariet Elizabeth LÓPEZ SOLIS

Encargada I de Recursos Genéticos Forestales

Instituto Nacional de Bosques (INAB)

Guinea

National Focal Point

Aminata DIAWARA

Chef de section à la division Aménagement Forestier, Direction Nationale des Eaux et Forêts

Ministere de l'Environnement des Eaux et Forêts

Honduras

National Focal Point

Ángel Francisco BÁRCENAS CARÍAS

Asesor Técnico

Insituto Nacional de Conservación y Desarrollo Forestal, Áreas Protegidas y Vida Silvestre (ICF)

Hungary

National Focal Point

László NAGY

Senior Research Fellow

University of Sopron, Forest Research Institute

Iceland

National Focal Point

Brynjar SKÚLASON

Researcher

Icelandic Forest Service

India

National Focal Point

C. KUNHIKANNAN

Director

Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding

India

Alternate

R. ANANDALAKSHMI

Scientist

Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding

Indonesia

National Focal Point

Indra EXPLOITASIA

Director of Biodiversity Conservation

Directorate General of Natural Resources and Ecosystem Conservation, Ministry of Environment and Forestry

Indonesia

Alternate

HARYONO

Deputy Director for Genetic Resources

Directorate General of Natural Resources and Ecosystem Conservation, Ministry of Environment and Forestry

Iran (Islamic Republic of)

National Focal Point

Khosro SAGHEB-TALEBI

Head of International Affairs

Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands

Ireland

National Focal Point

Brian CLIFFORD

Forestry Inspector

National Council for Forest Research and Development (COFORD), Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Italy

National Focal Point

Fulvio DUCCI

Senior Research Officer

Consiglio per la ricerca in agricoltura e l’analisi dell’economia agraria (CREA SEL)

Jamaica

National Focal Point

Lawrence NELSON

Silviculture Manager

Forestry Department

Japan

National Focal Point

Daisuke ENOMOTO

Forest tree breeding expert

Forest Research, Extension and Protection Division, Private Forest Department, Forestry Agency, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries 

Jordan

National Focal Point

Nizar Salem OBEIDAT 

Head of Forestry Section

Directorate of Plant Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, National Agricultural Research Center

Kenya

National Focal Point

James M. MWAMODENYI

Head, Forest Health and Biodiversity Conservation

Kenya Forest Service

Kyrgyzstan

National Focal Point

Baktybek YRSALIEV 

Deputy Director, Department of Forestry Ecosystems Development

The State Agency

Kyrgyzstan

Alternate

Aidana KEREZBEKOVA

Leading Specialist, International Cooperation Department

The State Agency

Lao People's Democratic Republic

National Focal Point

Vongvilay VONGKHAMSAO

Director

Forest Science Research Centre, National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute

Lebanon

National Focal Point

Anwar KOZAH

Chef

Département de développement rural et des ressources naturelles

Lithuania

National Focal Point

Darius RAUDONIUS

Chief Specialist

Forest Genetic Resources Department, Lithuanian State Forest Service

Luxembourg

National Focal Point

Martine NEUBERG

Chief for Forest Services

Administration de la nature et des forêts

Madagascar

National Focal Point

Lolona RAMAMONJISOA

Researcher

Directorate of Natural Resources and Ecosystems Management, Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development

Malaysia

National Focal Point

Norwati BINTI MUHAMMAD

Senior Research Officer

Biotechnology Programme, Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)

Mali

National Focal Point

Sidi SANOGO

Chef du Programme Ressources Forestiéres

Institut d’Economie Rurale

Malta

National Focal Point

Louis John FRESTA

Principal Scientific Officer

Plant Protection Directorate, Rural Affairs Department, Ministry for Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights

Mauritania

National Focal Point

Ethmane OULD BOUBACAR

Directeur Adjoint de la Protection de la Nature

Service Conservation et Protection des Paysages

Mexico

National Focal Point

Baldemar ARTEAGA MARTINEZ

Gerente de Reforestación y Restauración de Cuencas Hidrográficas

Comisión Nacional Forestal (CONAFOR)

Montenegro

National Focal Point

Jelena LAZAREVIĆ

Researcher

University of Montenegro, Biotechnical Faculty, Department for Forests

Morocco

National Focal Point

Hassan SBAY

Chef de service de l'amélioration génétique

Centre de Recherche Forestière

Namibia

National Focal Point

Andreas NIKODEMUS 

Acting Senior Forester, National Forest Inventories and Community Forestry Programme

Directorate of Forestry, Ministry of Environment, Forestry & Tourism

Netherlands (Kingdom of the)

National Focal Point

Joukje BUITEVELD    

Cluster leader, Forest Genetic Resources   

Centre for Genetic Resources, the Netherlands (CGN), Wageningen University & Research

Nicaragua

National Focal Point

Luis Valerio HERNÁNDEZ

Director de Monitoreo e Información Forestal

Instituto Nacional Forestal (INAFOR)

Nigeria

National Focal Point

Rasak Kolawole ADEKOLA

Ag.Director of Forestry

Federal Department of Forestry, Federal Ministry of Environment

Norway

National Focal Point

Oda Otilie HOLLTRØ SPONGSVEEN       

Adviser, Forest Genetic Resources

Norwegian Genetic Resource Center, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy (NIBIO)

Panama

National Focal Point

Victor Francisco CADAVID

Director Nacional Forestal

Ministerio de Ambiente

Papua New Guinea

National Focal Point

Anton LATA       

Manager, Planted Forest

PNG Forest Research Institute

Paraguay

National Focal Point

Sergio VILASSANTI CANO

Jefe del Departamento de Germoplasma Forestal

Instituto Forestal Nacional

Paraguay

Alternate

Marta ÁLVAREZ DE TRINIDAD

Asesora Técnica, Dirección de Desarrollo Forestal

Instituto Forestal Nacional

Peru

National Focal Point

Evelin Yudith SALAZAR HINOSTROZA

Investigador Forestal

Instituto Nacional de Innovación Agraria

Peru

Alternate

Roiser Honorio LOBATO GÁLVEZ

Director de la Subdirección de Productos Agrarios

Instituto Nacional de Innovación Agraria

Philippines

National Focal Point

Nonito M. TAMAYO

Director

Forest Management Bureau, Department of Environment & Natural Resources

Poland

National Focal Point

Marcin BEZA

Deputy Director

Kostrzyca Forest Gene Bank

Portugal

National Focal Point

Isabel CARRASQUINHO

Researcher

INIAV

Republic of Korea

National Focal Point

Sang-Jik KIM

Forest Policy Division, Korea Forest Service

Romania

National Focal Point

Sebastian CONSTANTIN

Counsellor

Ministry of Water and Forestry

Russian Federation

National Focal Point

MikhaiL SEMENOV

Deputy Head, Science and Innovations

All-Russian Institute of Forest Genetics, Selection and Biotechnology (VNIILGISbiotech)

Russian Federation    

Alternate

Olga KOMAROVA  

Researcher, Experimental Testing Unit

All-Russian Institute of Forest Genetics, Selection and Biotechnology (VNIILGISbiotech)

Rwanda

National Focal Point

Didas GAHIGI

Acting Director of Non-Timber Forest Product Unit

Ministry of Environment

Saint Lucia

National Focal Point

Nereus MITCHELL

Environmental Education Officer II

Division of Forest and Land Resources

Samoa

National Focal Point

Moafanua Tolusina POULI        

Assistant Chief Executive Officer, Forestry Division

Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment

Samoa

Alternate

Elizabeth KERSTIN

Principal Forestry Research and Development Officer

Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment

Serbia

National Focal Point

Vedrana LALOVIĆ

Advisor

Directorate of Forests, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management

Slovakia

National Focal Point

Roman LONGAUER

Senior Researcher

National Forest Centre

Slovenia

National Focal Point

Saša RUS

Forestry Division, Forestry and Hunting Directorate, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food

Solomon Islands

National Focal Point

Vaeno VIGULU

Permanent Secretary

Ministry of Forestry and Research

South Africa

National Focal Point

Tendani MARIBA

Assistant Director, Directorate of Forestry Research, Development and Innovation

Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries

Spain

National Focal Point

Elsa ENRÍQUEZ ALCALDE

Subdirectora General de Política Forestal y Lucha contra la Desertificación

Subdirección General de Política Forestal y Lucha contra la Desertificación, Dirección General de Biodiversidad, Bosques y Desertificación, Ministerio para la Transición Ecológica y el Reto Demográfico

Spain

Alternate

Felipe PÉREZ MARTÍN

Jefe de Área de Recursos Genéticos Forestales

Subdirección General de Política Forestal y Lucha contra la Desertificación, Dirección General de Biodiversidad, Bosques y Desertificación, Ministerio para la Transición Ecológica y el Reto Demográfico 

Sri Lanka

National Focal Point

K.M.A. BANDARA

Additional Conservator General (Research, Education and Development)

Forest Department Sri Lanka

Sweden

National Focal Point

Sanna BLACK-SAMUELSSON

Specialist in forest genetics

Swedish Forest Agency

Switzerland

National Focal Point

Amira TIEFENBACHER

Research Assistant

Forest Division, Federal Office for the Environment

Thailand

National Focal Point

Panida ROONGRATTANAKUL

Forestry Technical Officer

Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation

Thailand

Alternate

Jiraphan SOPEE

Scientist 

Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation

Togo

National Focal Point

Balakyem AWESSO

Chief section recherche forestières

Direction des ressources forestières, Ministere de l'environnement et des ressources forestières

Tonga

National Focal Point

Heimuli LIKIAFU

Deputy Secretary, Head of Forestry

Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry 

Tunisia

National Focal Point

Kailene JAMEL

Directeur de developpement sylvo-pastoral

Ministère de l'agriculture de ressources hydraulique et de la péche, Direction Générale des Forets

Türkiye 

National Focal Point

Gaye Eren KANDEMIR

Ministry of Forest and Water Affairs, Forest Tree Seeds and Tree Breeding Research Directorate

Ukraine

National Focal Point

Svitlana LOS

Head of Laboratory   

Ukrainian Research Institute of Forestry and Forest Melioration

United Republic of Tanzania

National Focal Point

Siima Salome BAKENGESA   

Director

Forest Production Research, Tanzania Forestry Research Institute

United States of America

National Focal Point

Jennifer CONJE

Senior Policy Advisor

International Programs Office, USDA Forest Service

United States of America

Alternate

Toral PATEL-WEYNAND

Director

Southern Research Station, USDA, Forest Service

Uruguay

National Focal Point

Joaquin GARRIDO

Dirección General Forestal, Ministerio de Ganadería, Agricultura y Pesca

Uzbekistan

National Focal Point

Abdussalom NORMATOV

Scientific Researcher

Forestry Research Institute

Vanuatu

National Focal Point

Godfrey BOME

Acting Director of Forests

Department of Forestry, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Forestry, Fisheries and Biosecurity

Yemen

National Focal Point

Mohammed Moqbel Taher  MAREAI

Technical Director

National Genetic Resources Center, Agricultural Research and extension Authority

Zambia

National Focal Point

Lishomwa MULONGWE

Principal Research Officer, Forestry Department

Department of Forestry

Zimbabwe

National Focal Point

Mduduzi Cardinal TEMBANI  

Research coordinator, Seed Physiologist

Forestry Division, Forestry Commission

Zimbabwe

Alternate

Pomerayi MUTETE

Tree Breeder

Forestry Division, Forestry Commission

No National Focal Point has been nominated by the following countries

Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belize, Bhutan, Bolivia (Plurinational State of), Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burundi, Cambodia, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Democratic People's republic of the Congo, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Gabon, Grenada, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Iraq, Israel, Ivory Coast, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Malawi, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, New Zealand, Niger, North Macedonia, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Qatar, Republic of Moldova, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Santo Tome y Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Suriname, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of), Viet Nam.