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Press Release

Gland, Switzerland - March 1, 1999

Dr. Maritta R. von Bieberstein Koch-Weser Arrives at IUCN

Dr. Maritta R. von Bieberstein Koch-Weser has arrived at IUCN to take up her new position as Director General.

Dr. Koch-Weser is an anthropologist by training and holds a Ph.D. from the Universities of Bonn and Cologne, where she studied Social Sciences and Latin American History. Her Ph.D. thesis focused on African Traditions in Brazil.

Dr. Koch-Weser has extensive experience in implementing environmental protection, rural and social development policies and programmes. Her areas of expertise include the management of large multidisciplinary expert teams in environmental and natural resource management in developing countries world-wide, management of programmes for rural poverty alleviation, environmental protection, and social development. Dr. Koch-Weser's experience also includes co-operating with bilateral and private sector organisations, fund-raising, monitoring and evaluation, communications and media relations, publishing and teaching.

Dr. Koch-Weser arrives at IUCN from the post of Director of Environmentally & Socially Sustainable Development for the Latin America and Caribbean Region at the World Bank. Her previous assignments include Chief of the Environment and Natural Resources Management Division of the Asia Technical Department; Chief of the Environmental Assessments and Programmes Division of the Environment Department; and, project officer with responsibilities for the planning and implementation of environmental, rural development and agricultural programmes in several regions of the world. During the early stages of her career, she taught anthropology at George Washington University in Washington D.C. and worked as a consultant for several development aid agencies.

Dr. Koch-Weser's country knowledge and field experience in international development related to the environment spans the regions of Latin America & the Caribbean, West & East Africa, South Asia, East Asia & the Pacific, Europe, Eastern Europe & the former Soviet Union, and North America. She is proficient in seven languages.

Dr. Koch-Weser (51) was born in Koblenz, Germany, is of German nationality, and holds an honorary Brazilian passport. She is married and has three children.