Ovais Sarmad

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Mr. Ovais Sarmad

FORMER DEPUTY EXECUTIVE SECRETARY OF UN CLIMATE CHANGE.

Mr. Ovais Sarmad served the United Nations Climate Change Secretariat (UNFCCC) – COP23 to COP27. During his tenure, he managed the UNFCCC secretariat operations, advised Executive Secretaries on a range of issues relating to the strategic operations planning and development of the organization. He guided the process-related and operational aspects of five COPs, including through the uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic, completion of Paris Agreement implementation guidelines including Article 6 at Glasgow, and the establishment of the Loss & Damage fund at Sharm-el-Sheikh. He initiated a secretariat-wide structure review/implementation and a new budget process through a consultative process with all stakeholders. He finalized the first-ever comprehensive strategic framework and initiated the first-ever annual report for United Nations Climate Change. He established a successful Resources Mobilization & Partnership function to enhance fund-raising and public/private sector partnerships and undertook a secretariat-wide restructuring process to make the organization fit for purpose and to move to the implementation era of the Paris Agreement.
Prior to UNFCCC, he served as Chief of Staff to the Director General at the International Organization for Migration (IOM). He worked in several management and policy development capacities in IOM over a period of 27 years. He initiated Organizational change management processes; established offices to deal with emergency operations; led a diverse and multi-cultural team; Introduced and pioneered the projectization & delocalization process including the establishment of back-office Administrative centers in Manila and Panama.
He initiated and successfully completed IOM’s affiliation with the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund following a complex negotiation process. He was a key team member in negotiating the IOM-UN relationship agreement that was signed on 19 September 2016.
Prior to the IOM, he worked in the private and public sectors in London, where he qualified as a Chartered Management Accountant (ACMA) & Chartered Global Management Accountant (GCMA) in 1988 after having graduated from Osmania University in Hyderabad, India, as a Bachelor of Commerce in 1982. Current areas of focus include engaging with and supporting activities and organizations around the world (a) that promise to innovate and accelerate sustainable development and growth without damaging the environment; (b) to empower youth through quality education at all levels and (c) to advise, mentor and coach individuals and organizations in multilateralism, diplomacy, geopolitical issues on climate change and migration and organizational development for change.

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