Yabanex Batista

Yabanex (Yaba) Batista is Deputy Head of the UN Global Team for the Global Fund for Coral Reefs (GFCR). He has over 20 years of experience, and has focused his career on sustainable financing, government relations and policy, protected areas and climate change adaptation, and Multilateral Environmental Agreements. His extensive experience includes leading and implementing projects and initiatives across SIDS, LAC, and Africa. Prior to joining GFCR, Yaba was the CEO for the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund where he led the funds activities for over 7 years. Previous experience includes working for the German Government Technical Cooperation Agency in Mexico, The Nature Conservancy’s International Government Relations Department and Europe Office, the World Bank-GEF Unit, the United States Geological Survey, and the Amazon Environmental Research Institute in Brazil. He holds an MA in International Relations and Environmental Policy