Mr. Max Zieren joined UNEP in early 2004 – first based in Nairobi, and the Asia and Pacific Regional Office since February 2007. He works with Asian countries and a global network of technical partners towards GEF V project identification, project design and development, and partnership building to implement the projects. Through his broad expertise he works on invasive alien species, sustainable land management and poverty alleviation, access and benefit sharing, regional water management, climate change & wetland conservation, integrating a green economy approach to sectors such as forestry and agriculture, protected area networks, biodiversity conservation & landscape connectivity, as well as the global expansion and use of voluntary certification systems such as by Rain Forest Alliance in tea, cocoa and coffee or FSC-based forest certification for ecosystem services like carbon, water, genetic resources, and recreational values.