The Department of International Relations
presents
Ambassador Michael Zammit Cutajar
in a Guest Seminar on
Negotiating Climate Change: After Copenhagen?

Date: Monday 12 April 2010
Time: 0930hrs – 1100hrs
Venue: Old Humanities Building (OH) Room 112, Msida Campus

Michael Zammit Cutajar
Ambassador on Climate Change, Malta
Michael Zammit Cutajar has devoted most of his career to work in and around the United Nations on international cooperation for development and environment. In 1991, he set up the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and headed it as Executive Secretary until his retirement early in 2002, holding the rank of Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Since then, he has continued to participate in the international dialogue on climate change and the “carbon market”.  He has served on bodies providing advice to the World Bank and the European Commission, among others

Mr. Zammit Cutajar advises the Government of Malta pro bono on international environmental issues, representing it as ambassador on climate change.  In this capacity, he participates in the work of the European Union and the UNFCCC.  In the latter framework, he served as Chair of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Kyoto Protocol (2006) and as Vice-Chair and Chair of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action (2008-2009) – the two negotiating tracks towards agreement on stronger international action to address climate change.

In the 2007 Republic Day honours list, Mr Zammit Cutajar was appointed Member of the National Order of Merit of Malta.  In 2009, he was awarded the Knight’s Cross in Hungary’s Order of Merit (Civil Division).

Mr Zammit Cutajar was educated at St Edward’s College, Malta, and the University of London.  His earlier work outside the United Nations framework included assignments with the Uganda Development Corporation (1963-65), Overseas Development Institute, London, UK (1965-1967) and the International Foundation for Development Alternatives (1978-1981).