Keynote speaker - Financing sustainable development to end poverty
Ambassador. Swiss Special Envoy for Global Sustainable Development.
In 2012, the Swiss Federal Council appointed Michael Gerber Ambassador and Special Envoy for Global Sustainable Development, entrusting him to lead Switzerland’s engagement in the international process of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Financing for Development (Addis Ababa Action Agenda) as lead negotiator.
Prior to his current position, he was Head of SDC’s Policy Division, which he joined in 2009. From 2006 to 2009, he was responsible for the Swiss development programmes in Afghanistan and Sri Lanka. While serving in this function, he completed the post-graduate Programme on Developing Countries at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich.
Michael Gerber joined the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs in 2002, as Head of Communications for SDC’s Domain Bilateral Cooperation and later Programme Manager for Ecuador. His activities built on several earlier project assignments in Ecuador, Colombia, and Mexico.
Michael Gerber studied Political Philosophy, Ethics, History, and Social Anthropology at the University of Bern.