Jacqueline Alvarez

Biography

Jacqueline Alvarez is appointed as Chief of the UNEP Chemicals and Health Branch.

Jacqueline started her career in the Ministry of Environment of Uruguay in the field of chemicals and waste and brings to this position 25+ years of political, management and technical expertise, spanning national, regional and international levels. At the national level, she worked for a number of years with the Government of Uruguay. Regionally, she has served as Director of the Basel and Stockholm Coordinating Centre for Latin America and the Caribbean for Capacity Building and Transfer of Technology. She has led negotiations on behalf of her region on multiple occasions.

Her career has included field work and the provision of strategic advice to governments on a wide variety of environmental matters, including on issues relating to multilateral environmental agreements and on policy implementation of chemical related issues. At UNEP, she has served in various roles, such as the Regional Sub-Programme Coordinator for Chemicals and Waste for the Latin America and Caribbean region, working within the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions Secretariat, and as Acting Chief of the Chemicals and Health Branch.

From 2021 to 2022, she has served as the UNEP Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean. Jacqueline is a chemist by training, specialized in pharmacy.