Bios

---

 A scientist turned diplomat, Dr. Rebecca E. Webber GAUDIOSI represented the United States at the UN from 2006 – 2014. She was responsible for U.S. engagement with over twenty-five environment - and sustainable development - related multilateral organizations, including the UN Environment Program, the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, the Montreal Protocol, the International Renewable Energy Agency, and the UN General Assembly Second Committee’s “sustainable development cluster.” Ms. Gaudiosi has also worked with several UN specialized agencies and on bilateral environment and science issues. Her most recent assignment was at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo.

In 2014, Dr. Gaudiosi received a Masters in Public Policy from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School. She earned B.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Materials Science and Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Northwestern University, respectively. A Science and Technology Policy Fellowship from the American Association for the Advancement of Science brought her to Washington, DC. 

From 2009 to 2015, Ms. Jimena LEIVA-ROESCH was at the Permanent Mission of Guatemala to the UN in New York, where she last served as Counselor. She was the lead negotiator for Guatemala in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and UN climate change negotiations. Ms. Leiva-Roesch played a key role in defining the SDGs. She was invited to be a facilitator in the Rio+20 negotiations and has represented the Group of 77 and China in negotiations at the UN. She is also the co-founder of the Independent Alliance for Latin America and the Caribbean (AILAC), a group of progressive voices in the climate change negotiations. She was part of Guatemala’s Security Council team from 2012-2013, when her country served as a non-permanent member of the Council.

Ms. Leiva-Roesch is currently a Research Fellow with the International Peace Institute. She is leading a global study on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. She has been a regular speaker at public events around the world.

Ms. Ye-Min WU has worked with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Singapore for over a decade.    

While at the Permanent Mission of Singapore to the UN in New York, she chaired UN negotiations as well as represented the Group of 77 and China in UN negotiations on sustainable development issues. Ms. Wu did her undergraduate studies at Johns Hopkins University and Oxford University, and received her Master of International Public Policy from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.

Ms. Wu and Ms. Leiva-Roesch conduct workshops on Negotiation and Leadership in Diplomacy. They have taught at Columbia University, Johns Hopkins University, UN University in Tokyo, Keio University, and the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs.