Tewolde Berhan Gebre Egziabher

Tewolde Berhan Gebre Egziabher ( born February 19, 1940 near Adwa, Tigray, Ethiopia ) is an Ethiopian environmentalist and professor of biology.

Egziabher studied in Addis Ababa and a Ph.D. from the University of Wales in Bangor.

From 1983 to 1991 he was Rector of the University of Asmara, 1991 to 1994 he was director of the Ethiopian Conservation Strategy Secretariat, 1995 he is the General Manager of the Environmental Protection Authority of Ethiopia.

During the 90 years spent Tewolde much of his energy for negotiations on Biological Diversity on: in particular within the framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity ( Convention on Biological Diversity ) and the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization). During these years he formed a strong group of highly qualified approach African delegate who played a leading role in the Group of 77 and China group. Africa occurred with common progressive positions, such as the prohibition of patents on living organisms and the recognition of the rights of traditional communities. Tewoldes line in this group resulted in 1999 in the biosafety negotiations in Cartagena, Colombia, to an agreement that protects against strong opposition of the U.S. and the EU biodiversity as well as the rights of traditional communities in developing countries. Egziabher also is the father of the African Model Law on Genetic Engineering. In the negotiations for Biosafety in 1999 in Cartagena ( Colombia) Tewolde was the speaker of the G77 countries, the " Like- Minded Group". The Cartagena Protocol succeeded in poor countries to make the use of genetically modified seeds under strict conditions and to protect the natural diversity.

Egziabher is a member of the World Future Council.

Awards

• 2000: Right Livelihood Award for his exemplary work to safeguard biodiversity and the traditional rights of farmers and communities to their genetic resources
• 2006: Champions of the Earth Award UNDP