Maestu, Josefina

Josefina Maestu, Coordinator, UN-Water Decade Programme on Advocacy and Communication (UNW-DPAC), Director, United Nations Office to Support the International Decade for Action ‘Water for Life’ 2005-2015
Josefina Maestu was appointed as Director of the programme in September 2009. Prior to her appointment, Ms. Maestu served as senior advisor to the Minister of Environment of Spain and she represented Spain in the Environmental Committee of the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), the Mediterranean Commission on Sustainable Development, and backstopped the Spanish EU Presidency. For 5 years she was a Director of a UK based economics and environment research consultancy. With an academic background in economics and planning, she has an extended professional career in the field of water whiles working in international relations, national civil servant positions and international advisor consultancies. She has coordinated the preparation of the economic analysis of River Basin Management Plans for implementation of the Water Framework Directive in Spain and has formed part of the EU coordination groups on water economics. Prior to this, she was Secretary-General of the Mediterranean Water Network for several years, and has been technical adviser to the European Commission and UN system organizations, including the World Bank.