Yesterday, the new Permanent Representative of the European Union to the International Seabed Authority (ISA), H.E. Ms. Marianne Van Steen, presented her credentials to ISA Secretary-General H.E. Mr. Michael W. Lodge, in a ceremony that took place at the headquarters of ISA in Kingston, Jamaica.
“I am delighted to welcome H.E. Ms. Van Steen as new Permanent Representative of the European Union to ISA and we look forward to continuing working closely with the European Union and its member States in the implementation of our mandate” said Mr. Lodge.
“I firmly believe that the International Seabed Authority has an important role to play to strengthen international ocean governance,” said Ambassador Van Steen.
H.E. Ms. Van Steen was appointed in September 2020 as Ambassador of the European Union to Jamaica, Belize, The Bahamas, Turks and Caicos and The Cayman Islands. She has over 25 years of experience working in diplomacy and international development with the European Union. Prior to her latest appointment, she served as Ambassador of the European Union to Ecuador from 2016 to 2020; Deputy Head of Division in charge of Human Resources in the European External Action Service from 2014 to 2016; Deputy Head of Mission of the European Union in Peru from 2009 to 2014 and Deputy Head of Unit at the European Commission in charge of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela from 2003 to 2009. She also served as Negotiator in charge of accession negotiations with Poland and Slovenia and as Administrator in charge of industrial product legislation at the European Commission from 1999 to 2003 and from 1994 to 1999, respectively.
Ms. Van Steel is a Belgian national and holds a Master’s Degree in Advanced European Studies (honours) from the College of Europe, Belgium and a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Sciences and International Relations (honours) from the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium and the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.
For media enquiries, please contact:
Ms. Stefanie Neno, Communications Specialist, ISA, sneno@isa.org.jm
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