Mr. Gino Van Begin 

Secretary General, ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability

 

Gino Van Begin is ICLEI's distinguished Secretary General.  

Having served as ICLEI Regional Director for Europe since 2002 and as Deputy Secretary General since 2007, he brings to his position a wealth of experience in coordinating and leading international institutions and organizations across different aspects of sustainable urban development. 

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Gino has consistently and comprehensively worked over the last 12 years towards ensuring ICLEI’s quality as a responsible, professional, non for profit, local government organization in Europe and worldwide. 

He has been ICLEI’s Chief Negotiator on local climate actions and was instrumental in organizing various major events, such as the European Sustainable Cities and Towns Conferences which have grown to become the major sustainability rendezvous for local governments in Europe. 

Gino was also a member of the EU Expert Group to the European Commission on the Urban Environment from 2003-2006, and is a member of the European Commission’s Jury on the European Green Capital.  

Gino’s vision is to extend this excellent leadership to ICLEI on a global level. 

He says, “ICLEI with its multi-facets and various functions, as developed by our two former Secretary Generals, is set to play important roles at all levels. As the Secretary General, I am  thrilled to contribute my energy, intellectual capacities, diplomacy and perseverance to take this mission-driven organization to the next stages of ambition.”

Before joining ICLEI in 2000, Gino worked as advisor and as Team Leader at the EU-funded Environmental Centres for Administration and Technology in Kaliningrad and St. Petersburg, Russia for seven years. 

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From 1987 to 1993, he was a legal advisor at the European Commission’s DG Environment, General Secretariat and DG External relations. He also worked at the Cabinet of the Vice-President of the Government of Flanders and Minister of Economy, Small Business and Energy. 

Trained as a lawyer from the University of Brussels, Gino speaks Dutch, French, English, German and Russian.