Dr. Awni Behnam is currently Honorary President of the International Ocean Institute in Malta. Dr. Behnam has extensive experience in negotiating international conventions and multilateral agreements through his 27 year-long career as a UN diplomat. He was responsible for diplomatic relationships between the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Secretary General and Permanent Representatives from developing countries. From 2000 – 2004, Dr. Behnam was also Senior Advisor to the Secretary General of UNCTAD and UN Commissioner General for the 2010 World Expo, Shanghai.
