Our UN panel this year:
Satya S. Tripathi is UN Assistant Secretary-General, Head of New York Office at UNEP and Secretary of the UN Environment Management Group.
A development economist and lawyer with nearly 40 years of varied experience, Mr. Tripathi has served with the UN since 1998 in key positions in Europe, Asia and Africa in the areas of Climate Change, Human Rights, Democratic Governance and Legal Affairs.
He was Head of Human Rights Investigations for the UN in post-war Bosnia and Herzegovina (UNMIBH); Chair of the Committees on Laws, Treaties and Administrative matters for the UN-mediated Cyprus unification talks in 2004; UN Recovery Coordinator for Aceh and Nias where he facilitated international cooperation and funding of over US$ 7 billion for post-tsunami and post-conflict recovery efforts in support of the Indonesian government and affected populations; and Executive Head of UNORCID, a UN System Office of 10 UN Agencies established by the UN Secretary General in 2011 to facilitate the implementation of a US$ 1 Billion REDD+ partnership between Indonesia, Norway and other stakeholders on climate change mitigation and adaptation through the conservation of forests and preservation of peat-land and bio-diversity.
Mr. Tripathi was instrumental in establishing the Tropical Landscapes Finance Facility (TLFF) in Indonesia in 2016 and the Sustainable India Finance Facility (SIFF) in 2017 to leverage ‘private finance for public good’ at mega-scale to achieve transformative social and environmental impact for millions of people in developing countries.
He previously served on the World Economic Forum’s Global Advisory Council on Forests; and with the World Agroforestry Center (ICRAF) as a senior distinguished fellow.
Chris Whatley, Executive Director, The HALO Trust USAChris Whatley serves as Executive Director of HALO USA, the US arm of the HALO Trust, the world’s largest humanitarian mine clearance organization. Chris leads HALO’s US government affairs team, UN relations mission, Congressional advocacy efforts, communications outreach, and fundraising strategy.
Prior to joining HALO, Chris served as Executive Director of the United Nations Association of the United States, a program of the United Nations Foundation (UNF). Chris led UNA’s national staff in Washington, D.C. and New York, advocating for the UN’s mission, leading fundraising efforts, and advancing private sector partnerships with UN agencies.
Before joining UNF, Chris served as Deputy Executive Director of The Council of State Governments (CSG), representing elected officials from all 50 states and the six territories on Capitol Hill, forging ties between American states and their counterparts in Canada and Mexico, and serving as an appointed advisor to the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR). Prior to joining CSG, Chris served as a program officer and field representative for the International Republican Institute (IRI), leading a wide range of international election observation missions and technical assistance programs in Liberia, Nigeria, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. He began his career as a Research Assistant for the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), studying the demobilization and reintegration of former combatants in Zimbabwe.
Chris holds a Master of Science in Foreign Service degree from Georgetown University and a Bachelor of Arts in Government from Angelo State University.
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