Dr Alexander SHESTAKOV has started a new position of the Director of the WWF Global Arctic Programme in July 2010.

Previously he served at different researcher positions at the Institute of Geography, Russian Academy of Sciences, where he conducted research in environmental management and mapping, environmental migrations, global environmental problems. As Environmental Law Officer at WWF Russia he was working on analysis and drafting the federal and regional environmental law in Russia; communications with relevant governmental authorities; co-ordination of work under biodiversity related international conventions (CBD, CITES, Ramsar, world heritage). Being Programme Director at WWF Russia he was responsible for running the conservation programme of WWF in Russia consistent of about 60-70 conservation projects a year. In 2006-2010 Alexander served as Health, Safety and Environment Manager at BP-Russia.

Alexander was appointed to the Highest Ecological Council of the Committee on Ecology within the Russian Parliament (State Duma). In 2002-2006 he was member of the Convention on Biological Diversity the 7th and the 8th Conference of the Parties Bureau representing region of Central and Eastern Europe and currently serve as the CBD SBSTTA Bureau member. He also was a secretary of the National Committee of Russian Geographers (1996-2000) and has participated in numerous international conferences and environmental projects including those of The World Bank, UNEP, IOM, UNDP, UNECE, EBRD and TRAFFIC International. A. Shestakov was working for international consultancy companies carrying EIA and environment audits. Since 1995 he was teaching the Environmental Management course at the Faculty of Geography, Moscow State University.

A. Shestakov has published about 70 works including 'The World Map of Ecological Problems', 'Mapping of risk areas of environmentally-induced migration in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), 'Migrations induced by desertification and drought in CIS member states', 'Biodiversity legislation in Russia' and 'Legislation on protecetd areas in Russia'. He is interested in international environmental legislation as a tool to promote sustainable development, environmental management and global governance. He was the member of the official Russian delegations to COP and SBSTTA meetings for CBD and CITES. He has a Ph.D. in geography and master's degrees in geography as well as in environmental law, all from Moscow State University.