About Me

José Luis Samaniego Leyva is a prominent leader and negotiator in international environmental and sustainable development issues. He is fluent in Spanish, English, Portuguese, and French. He was born on March 19, 1956, in Mexico, where he has spent most of his life.

His academic background includes a Ph.D. in Natural Resources obtained from the Faculty of Economics at the National Autonomous University of Mexico in 2014. Additionally, he holds a Master's in International Political Economy from the University of the Americas in 2002 and a Bachelor's degree in Economics from the Metropolitan Autonomous University in 1979. He was also recognized as a fellow of the LEAD International Program at the College of Mexico in 1998.

Currently, he serves as the Executive Director of the Colombia and Mexico offices of the Board of Directors of the World Resources Institute (WRI). Previously, between 2004 and 2023, he held the position of Director of the Division of Sustainable Development and Human Settlements at the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).

Throughout his career, he has held various roles, including Director of the Sustainable Transportation Center for Mexico City, where he focused on improving the public surface transportation system through the introduction of the Metrobús system and the implementation of policies to promote cycling.

Furthermore, he served as the Head of the International Affairs Office of the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources, and Fisheries, where he was in charge of international agreements and bilateral relations on environmental matters for the Mexican government, as well as international environmental financing, reporting directly to the Secretary.

He also served as the Head of the External Credit Unit of the National Institute of Ecology, where he was responsible for the execution of two World Bank projects/credits: the Environmental Program of Mexico and the Environmental Program of the Northern Border. Both aimed to strengthen the institutional capacity of the environmental sector.

José Luis Samaniego Leyva's experience and knowledge cover a wide range of environmental and sustainability-related topics. Thanks to his extensive regional and international work experience, he has participated, for example, in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Kyoto and Paris Protocols, the Convention on Biological Diversity, resolutions of the ECLAC Session, and the Escazú Agreement. He is also familiar with environmental legislation in Mexico and Chile. Additionally, he has represented Mexico in the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation before the OECD Environmental Policy Committee, among other essential instruments for the practice of his profession. His commitment and contributions have been crucial in addressing the environmental challenges the world has faced.