Mr. Zhang Xinsheng
President, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
Mr ZHANG Xinsheng is the President of IUCN, elected by the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2012 in Jeju, Korea, and re-elected by the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2016 in Hawaiʻi, USA. He is also the co-founder and Executive Chairman of Eco Forum Global (EFG), a premium platform and a public-private partnership organization committed to building consensus among all stakeholders home and abroad for development of a green and sustainable future. He also serves as a member of the Advisory Commission of China State Council.
Mr ZHANG was elected President of the Executive Board of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2005 (the first time a person from East Asia became President), and served as a member of this Board for eight years (2001-2009). He was also elected Chairman of UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee. The Tribute to the President of the Executive Board written and adopted by the General Conference, 34th Session of UNESCO, reads, “The General Conference [commends Mr. Zhang’s] intellectual and human qualities which enabled him to build consensus through extensive consultations”. He also served as Vice President of the Chinese Olympic Committee, and elected Vice President of the International University Sports Federation (FISU) for three terms.
Mr ZHANG has held positions in China’s central, provincial and municipal governments. He was elected for two consecutive terms from 1989 to 1997 as Mayor of metropolitan Suzhou city. During his tenure as Mayor, Mr ZHANG served as the founding Chairman of the Administrative Committee of China-Singapore Cooperative Suzhou Industrial Park (a modern international township), which was then the largest-scale opening-up programme in China. Its model of sustainable urban planning has started to disseminate successfully in the region and beyond. As China’s Deputy Minister of Education (2001–2009), Mr ZHANG was in charge of educational policy, regulations and international exchange and cooperation. He was elected as a deputy to the 7th and 8th National People’s Congress of China and also served as Member of the 11th Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. Mr ZHANG obtained a Master Degree in Design Studies with distinction at the Graduate School of Design, Harvard University.
Mr ZHANG brought a consensus approach to decision-making based on broad consultation and dialogue with all components of the Union, along with more effective Council governance processes. He has also worked tirelessly to improve IUCN’s financial stability. Under his leadership, together with his fellow colleagues in the Council, Secretariat and Commissions, the IUCN has stayed on course with its core mission and has also successfully navigated emerging and uncharted opportunities for impacting international and regional policy regimes, always with an eye to concrete conservation outcomes on land and sea.
Mr ZHANG was elected President of the Executive Board of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2005 (the first time a person from East Asia became President), and served as a member of this Board for eight years (2001-2009). He was also elected Chairman of UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee. The Tribute to the President of the Executive Board written and adopted by the General Conference, 34th Session of UNESCO, reads, “The General Conference [commends Mr. Zhang’s] intellectual and human qualities which enabled him to build consensus through extensive consultations”. He also served as Vice President of the Chinese Olympic Committee, and elected Vice President of the International University Sports Federation (FISU) for three terms.
Mr ZHANG has held positions in China’s central, provincial and municipal governments. He was elected for two consecutive terms from 1989 to 1997 as Mayor of metropolitan Suzhou city. During his tenure as Mayor, Mr ZHANG served as the founding Chairman of the Administrative Committee of China-Singapore Cooperative Suzhou Industrial Park (a modern international township), which was then the largest-scale opening-up programme in China. Its model of sustainable urban planning has started to disseminate successfully in the region and beyond. As China’s Deputy Minister of Education (2001–2009), Mr ZHANG was in charge of educational policy, regulations and international exchange and cooperation. He was elected as a deputy to the 7th and 8th National People’s Congress of China and also served as Member of the 11th Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. Mr ZHANG obtained a Master Degree in Design Studies with distinction at the Graduate School of Design, Harvard University.
Mr ZHANG brought a consensus approach to decision-making based on broad consultation and dialogue with all components of the Union, along with more effective Council governance processes. He has also worked tirelessly to improve IUCN’s financial stability. Under his leadership, together with his fellow colleagues in the Council, Secretariat and Commissions, the IUCN has stayed on course with its core mission and has also successfully navigated emerging and uncharted opportunities for impacting international and regional policy regimes, always with an eye to concrete conservation outcomes on land and sea.