Mr. Manoel Sobral Filho was appointed Director of the UN Forum on Forests Secretariat (UNFFS/DESA) effective on 1 September 2014. A Brazilian national, Manoel Sobral has extensive experience on global forest issues, and a demonstrated commitment to sustainable forest management, partnerships, capacity building and stakeholder engagement. He has published widely on issues related to tropical forestry, deforestation, climate change, and wood-based bio energy.
Mr. Sobral previously served as the Director of Brazil’s Forest Product Research Center at the National Institute of Amazonian Research, and subsequently as Executive Director of the International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO).
Mr. Sobral earned a Ph.D. in Forestry, Wildlife and Range Sciences and a Master of Science in Wood Utilization from the University of Idaho, and a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from University of Brasilia.

The following staff members were promoted in August:

Astrid  Hurley, Social Affairs Officer, Division for Social Policy and Development

Pierre Kohler, Economic Affairs Officer, Development Policy and Analysis Division

Marcelo La Fleur, Economic Affairs Officer, Development Policy and Analysis Division

Stephanie Rudy, Research Assistant, Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination

Sokol Vako, Statistician, Statistics Division

Vysaul Nyirongo, Statistician, Statistics Division