Rubens Born is the Executive Director, Vitae Civilis Institute for Development, Environment and Peace in Brazil , and an environmentalist with an extensive experience, in Brazil and internationally. Rubens graduated in civil engineering and is also an expert in Environmental Engineering, and got his MSc degree in Wastewater Reuse and Sustainable Water Management, and Ph.D. in Multilateral Environmental Agreements from the University of São Paulo He has more than 25 years of experience in activities in conservation and sustainable use of the environment and capacity-building of human resources.

He has participated in several multilateral forums, building alliances among civil society organizations. Member, founder and advisor of several NGOs, and leader in national and international networks. From 1998 to 2001, he was the Executive Director of the Brazilian Association for Leadership Development (ABDL), a NGO that runs the LEAD – Leadership for Environment and Development and PROLIDES - Leadership for Sustainable Development in the Mercosul Programs. In 1990, Rubens was one of the founders of the Brazilian NGOs and Social Movements Forum for Environment and Development (FBOMS), and also member of its steering committee during two terms (1997-2000). He was appointed as the FBOMS representative to all UNCED (Rio-92) PrepComs and coordinated its delegation in the Rio Conference and in the Johannesburg Summit ( Rio +10, 2002). Through Vitae Civilis, Rubens assisted FBOMS planning of the Johannesburg Summit, where he also played a coordinator role. He currently coordinates FBOMS’ Climate Change and Agenda 21 Working Groups.

Rubens Born also took part in the creation of several networks, such as the Atlantic Forest NGOs Network, the Latin American and the Brazilian NGOs Climate Action NGOs Networks. In November 2002, he was appointed to as board member of the International Climate Action Network (CAN). He has been representing NGOs as member of diverse organizations: São Paulo State Environmental Council (1993-1995); Ribeira do Iguape River Basin Committee (1999-2001); Alto Tietê River Basin Committee (1995-1996 and 2001-2002); and the Brazilian Commission for Sustainable Development Policies and Agenda 21 – CPDS (1998-2002). He also represented the Brazilian FBOMS in several sessions of the Climate Convention Conferences and in the Brazilian official delegations to international negotiations.