Maria Helena Semedo

Ms Semedo, a national of Cape Verde joins the Board after a distinguished career in ministerial roles and senior roles at FAO, most recently as deputy director general for Natural Resources and Sustainable Production Stream. With training as an economist, her experience covers cooperation with other governmental and non-governmental organizations, including Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Common Monetary Area (CMA), Arab Maghreb Union (UMA), Economic Community of West African States (UEMOA), African Centre of Meteorological Application for Development (ACMAD) and Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). She was decorated by the Heads of State of CILSS and awarded a permanent membership in the “Comité de Parrainage” of the Foundation for Sahel Development. In May 2008 she was awarded Niger’s highest award for her distinguished service to the field of agriculture. In March 2018 she is named “Woman of the Year” at the commemoration of the 2018 Women Diplomats Day in Portugal. In December 2018, the Government of Brazil bestowed the honorific Order of Rio Branco and the Universidade Aberta in Lisbon confers the Honoris Causa doctorate for her work in global sustainable development. In November 2019, she receives the Crans Montana Forum Prix de la Fondation.