From Words to Action

The Most Honourable Andrew Michael Holness is the Prime Minister of Jamaica. He made history in 2011 as the youngest person elected Prime Minister. Holness has served over 20 years as an elected representative and has focused his leadership on fiscal responsibility, housing development, job creation, and building Jamaica’s digital society. A champion of climate change policy, he promotes partnerships with the private sector, civil society, and international stakeholders for inclusive growth.

Mrs. Evelyna Wever-Croes, LL.M. is the current Prime Minister of Aruba and for the last three years has served as the Minister of General Affairs, Innovation, Government Organization, Infrastructure and Spatial Planning in the cabinet. After the elections in 2017, she made history by being the first female Prime Minister of Aruba.

With much love and commitment, the Prime Minister’s ambition is to create better opportunities for all citizens and build a solid foundation for the younger generations that will have the task of carrying Aruba into an uncertain future and rapidly changing world. She believes taking a human-centered approach to policymaking, combined with significant investment in innovation is the only way to help build a more sustainable future for generations to come. She is also an advocate for social (purpose-driven) innovation and for women in innovation and STEM.

After assuming the role of Prime Minister of Aruba, the big innovation gap and its impact on the Aruban economy became apparent, especially after the COVID-19 Pandemic. Therefore, the vision of Aruba’s Government is to achieve socio-economic resilience by accelerating the innovation capacity of the island through a human-centered approach, putting the Aruban people at the heart of all policies. The government affirmed its commitment to this vision by streamlining its innovation strategy with the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

Diene Keita of Guinea has been appointed by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Executive Director, Programme, at the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). She succeeds Dereje Wordofa of Ethiopia. Ms. Keita brings nearly 30 years of UN experience, having served as Minister for Cooperation and African Integration with Guinea and held various leadership roles at UNDP and UNFPA. Her career focuses on public health, women and youth empowerment, and gender-based violence. Ms. Keita holds a doctorate in Law and degrees in International Economics and Relations from the University of Paris 1 Sorbonne.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Second Minister for Education & Foreign Affairs. A Member of Parliament since 2001, he has represented the East Coast GRC since 2011. Previously, Dr. Maliki held roles in the Ministries of Defence, National Development, and Community Development, Youth and Sports, and served as Mayor of the South East District. He holds a PhD in Social Work from the University of Illinois and was an Assistant Professor at the National University of Singapore. Dr. Maliki is passionate about community engagement, interfaith relations, and promoting education and diplomacy.

Dhruvak is a researcher with the Power sector team at The Council, focusing on improving energy efficiency in households, electricity sector reforms, and digitisation of power infrastructure. His interests also include energy geopolitics and environmental governance. Before joining The Council, he studied flexible energy systems, gas market efficiency, and technology adoption in utilities. He has worked with global organisations on machine learning for grid decarbonisation and cybersecurity for digitised power networks. Dhruvak holds an MPhil in Technology Policy from the University of Cambridge and a BTech in Mechatronics from Manipal University Jaipur. He enjoys traveling, volunteering, and Formula 1.

Ms. Kalkku is a seasoned diplomat who currently serves as Under-Secretary of State at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, focusing on development policy and relations with Africa and the Middle East. She has held various leadership roles, including Director-General for the Department of the Americas and Asia (2005-2015) and Director of Security Policy (2000-2005). Since joining the Ministry in 1983, she has served at the Finnish Missions to the UN and NATO and worked on security policy, crisis management, EU, and UN affairs. Ms. Kalkku holds advanced degrees in international law from the University of Helsinki.

Derek Walker is the world’s only Future Generations Commissioner. He started the role on March 1, 2023, when he called for ‘urgent and transformational change’ in Wales. Since then, he has ensured the interests of future generations are at the heart of public sector decision making in Wales, in areas such as climate and nature, health, the economy, culture, the Welsh language and food policy.

Wales remains the only country in the world with a Well-being of Future Generations Act. There is a growing global interest in the Welsh approach, with momentum building for similar institutions around the world. The Welsh experience has been significant in informing the UN Summit of the Future. The Commissioner provides advice and support to government and public sector organisations to take a longer-term view on policy decisions. The commissioner’s job is to protect and promote the needs of those not yet born.

Previously Derek was chief executive of Cwmpas, the UK’s largest co-operative development agency. Derek spent 12 years as CEO, supporting people to create jobs and strengthen communities, which has led to a significant growth in social enterprises and employee-owned businesses. In this role, he campaigned successfully for sustainable development and well-being economy approaches. Derek began his career as policy officer for London Councils, in London and Brussels. He has also worked as Head of External Affairs at the Big Lottery Fund (Wales), as Head of Policy and Campaigns at the Wales TUC and was the first employee of Stonewall Cymru.  Derek grew up on a farm in South Wales and is a keen runner and a terrible tennis player. He is a Welsh learner. He now lives in Cardiff with his partner Mike and has two grown-up children.  His ambition while at Croesyceiliog Comprehensive School was to be a journalist and he has a Masters degree in International Journalism from Cardiff University. 

His Excellency, Mr. Ralph Regenvanu is Vanuatu’s Minister for Climate Change Adaptation, Energy, Environment, Meteorology, Geo-Hazards and Disaster Management. He has previously served as Minister for Lands and Natural Resources and as Foreign Minister, and is currently serving his fifth term as the Member of Parliament for Vanuatu’s capital city – which is also Vanuatu’s largest urban centre – Port Vila. From 2013 until 2015, Ralph was co-chair of the taskforce which was responsible for developing Vanuatu’s ‘National Sustainable Development Plan 2016-2030’. He is currently the Pacific Ministerial Champion for Loss and Damage.

Sabrina Moquete Contreras is a Foreign Policy Analyst with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Dominican Republic and is currently completing the SIDS fellowship with the United Nations Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (UNDOALOS). With a strong legal background, her expertise spans administrative law, focusing on the application of international regulations, economic planning, and budgetary matters. Additionally, she has experience in civil law, including contractual and commercial matters, as well as real estate. Known for her attention to detail, proactive problem-solving, and commitment to professional excellence, her goal is to continuously grow her skills and contribute effectively to her team’s success.

Chimdi Neliaku is a seasoned multi-sectorial professional with a proven track record of delivery and excellence on a wide range of subject matters, programs and projects in the public sector, private sector, civil society, political sector, etc., for about 10 years. As a passionate, driven and conscientious professional, Chimdi’s work centers on government affairs, policy development, research & analysis, stakeholder management, management consulting, public relations, law and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), youth development, amongst others. Her experience in these areas arms her with a unique, well-grounded and multidimensional approach to analyzing issues, solving problems and engaging with multiple stakeholders for organizational success and optimal social impact.

Njeri is a Senior Futurist at the Institute for Futures Research at Stellenbosch University Business School. She helps individuals, organisations, and states in Africa navigate complexity and achieve long-term goals. Her research spans leadership, organisational performance, diversity, and transformation. Njeri holds a PhD in Business Administration and a Masters in International Relations. She co-founded an organisation that builds long-term institutional partnerships. With experience in research, executive training, policy development, and project management, she promotes knowledge sharing, strategic planning, and evidence-based decision making to drive high performance and achieve desired futures.

He did his medical training from 1984 to 1990 at the Maastricht University in the Netherlands. From 1990 to 1992 he was a family physician on the Island of Curacao.

From 1992 to 1998 he did his internship for surgery at the University Hospital of Leuven, Belgium. After his training as a surgeon, Dr. Mercelina worked for one year as a surgeon in the Netherlands.

In 1999 he left Europe and started working as a General Surgeon at the Sint Maarten Medical Center on the Island of Sint Maarten. After working 10 years as a surgeon in Sint Maarten he continued his professional career as a surgeon from 2009 until 2016 in Belgium. In this period, he was also a professor at the Medical Faculty of the Maastricht University in the Netherlands.

Since 2016 he has been back home in Sint Maarten serving his country as a surgeon. From 2018 to 2020 he was also a Member of Parliament for Country Sint Maarten. Dr. Mercelina is the founder and the leader of the political party URSM (Unified Resilient Sint Maarten Movement).