I have worked on indicators for more than thirty years, starting with indicators relevant to coral reefs in the early 1970s. In the 1980s I developed a set of indicators and indices for islands. After the Rio Earth Summit in 1992 called for indicators of sustainable development, I organized the first UN meeting to plan such indicators and helped to design the indicators for the Commission on Sustainable Development, as well as participating in two projects on sustainability indicators for the Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment (SCOPE). I was a member of the Consultative Group on Sustainable Development Indicators (CGSDI) that produced the Bellagio Principles and the Dashboard of Sustainability. Recent activities have included participating in the development by SOPAC of the Environmental Vulnerability Index, consultant on indices to the World Economic Forum including participating in the revision of the Environmental Sustainability Index (2005) and development of the Environmental Performance Index (2006), and contributing to the development of the Humanitarian Response Index 2007. I am a partner in a new project between universities and civil society organizations in Europe on value-based indicators.

PERSONAL: United States citizen, Swiss resident, married to a French citizen, two adult children.
LANGUAGES: Bilingual, English and French

EDUCATION:
A.B. in Biological Sciences with Departmental Honors, Stanford University, California, 1964.
Ph. D. in Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, 1969.

Five years scientific research and curatorial experience, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., USA, with special interests in coral reef ecology, marine algae, and island environments, and continuing activity on various international scientific committees.

Eleven years residence in the South Pacific as adviser to governments and international organizations in ecology, conservation and environmental management, with extensive field experience, including at the grass-roots level. Three years residence in Africa and twenty years in Europe. Wide knowledge of the Asia-Pacific region and of small island developing States, particularly the developing countries and territories of the Pacific Islands, complemented by experience in the Caribbean and Africa, and visits to many other areas.

Thirty-five years programme management and administrative experience in the planning, organization and evaluation of international multi-disciplinary programmes of research, observation, and environmental assessment and management, including liaison with governments, organization of cooperation among international agencies, directing intergovernmental meetings, scientific symposia and training courses, and implementing the results of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (Rio de Janeiro, 1992).

Producer of training and audio-visual materials, lecturer and writer (in English and French) for scientific audiences, universities and the general public on ecology, conservation, religion, environment and sustainable development.

Consultant to many international organizations and government agencies, with special emphasis on indicators of environment and sustainability, coral reef and coastal zone management, conservation of nature and biodiversity, environment and management of islands, environmental education and training, rural social and economic development, and applications of science in developing countries.

Academic experience including organizing curriculum development and teaching graduate level courses in social and economic development, coordinator of UNEP/University of Geneva Environmental Diplomacy Programme, member of scientific committee for University of Geneva Continuing Education Certificate in Sustainable Development, and occasional lecturer for other university courses.

Recent substantive interests have focussed on coral reef protection and management, information for environmental decision-making, indicators of sustainable development, organization of observations and assessments of the global environment, public participation in environmental observations, new economic paradigms, and the special problems of small island developing States.

POSITIONS:
Retired from the United Nations, August 2002.
Director, Coral Reef Unit, Division of Environmental Conventions, United Nations Environment Programme, Geneva, Switzerland, 2000-2002.
Coordinator, UN System-wide Earthwatch, United Nations Environment Programme, Geneva, Switzerland, 1992-2000.
Deputy Assistant Executive Director, Division of Environment Information and Assessment, United Nations Environment Programme, Geneva, Switzerland, 1996-1998.
Deputy to the Director, Oceans and Coastal Areas Programme Activity Centre, United Nations Environment Programme, Nairobi, Kenya, 1989-1992.
Consulting ecologist to governments and international organizations, 1982-1989, including: Government of New Caledonia; South Pacific Regional Environment Programme; Kanak Cultural, Scientific and Technical Office (New Caledonia); Office of Technology Assessment, United States Congress; World Conservation Union (IUCN); Oceans and Coastal Areas Programme Activity Centre, United Nations Environment Programme; Institut Francais de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER); Environment and Policy Institute, East-West Center; UNESCO.
Regional Ecological Adviser, South Pacific Commission, Noumea, New Caledonia, 1974-1982 (organized South Pacific Regional Environment Programme).
Associate Curator (Algae), Department of Botany, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., 1970-1974, and Research Associate, 1974-1982.
Visiting Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Botany, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., U.S.A., 1969-1970.
Teaching Assistant, Department of Biological Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, 1965-1966.

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE relevant to indicators:
Development of quantitative marine ecological surveys and long-term coral reef monitoring techniques, 1969-present.
Studies, as part of interdisciplinary programs, of coral reef and algal ecology, with development of theoretical systems models, 1970-1974.
Studies of quantification of coral reef and algal surface areas and spatial relationships, with indicators, 1972-1976.
Survey and classification of marine and terrestrial ecosystems in the South Pacific region for South Pacific Commission and IUCN, 1975-1979.
Detailed analysis with indicators of the biodiversity, nature conservation requirements and protected area system in Oceania, 1985-1986.
Analysis and classification of islands with ecological, geographic and socio-economic indicators and indices, as related to the effects of limits on complex systems, preparation of a database on islands, 1985-present. http://islands.unep.ch/
Expert adviser to the indicators programme of the Commission on Sustainable Development, 1993-2000.
Member of the scientific committee of the SCOPE project on indicators of sustainability, 1993-1996, and the SCOPE project on assessment of sustainability indicators, 2004-2007, including co-editor of and contributor to the book resulting from the project.
 Member of the Consultative Group on Sustainable Development Indicators, 1996-2005, including development of the Bellagio Principles and the Dashboard of Sustainability.
 Collaborator in the SOPAC project on the Environmental Vulnerability Index, 1999-2005.
Expert adviser for the World Economic Forum to Yale University and CIESIN on the redesign of the Environmental Sustainability Index 2005, and the development of the Environmental Performance Index 2005-2006.
Consultant in the preparation of the Humanitarian Response Index 2007.
Contributed to the design of a European Union project on The Development of Indicators and Assessment Tools for Civil Society Organization Projects Promoting Values-based Education for Sustainable Development, 2008-2010.

MEETINGS AND ORGANIZATIONAL EXPERIENCE relevant to indicators:
Accredited observer for the Baha'i International Community to United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, Stockholm, Sweden, 1972.
Organized and directed Second Regional Symposium on Conservation of Nature, Apia, Western Samoa, and presented report on Regional Ecosystems Survey of the South Pacific Area, 1976.
Resource person for Asian Development Institute Workshop on Development Planning with Special Reference to Evaluation, Western Samoa, 1977.
Organized and directed ministerial-level Conference on the Human Environment in the South Pacific, Rarotonga, Cook Islands, as part of South Pacific Regional Environment Programme, 1982.
Participant in UNCED Working Party on Oceans, Geneva and Monaco, 1991.
Represented UNEP at UNCED Preparatory Committee meetings, Nairobi and Geneva, 1991.
Seconded to the Secretariat for the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), Geneva, 1991-1992, to assist in preparing Agenda 21 for adoption at the "Earth Summit" in Rio de Janeiro.
Participant in WRI Workshop on Environmental Indicators, Washingtonm DC, 1992.
Organized UNEP/UNSTAT Consultative Expert Group on Environment and Sustainable Development Indicators, Geneva, 1993.
Task Manager for the UN Interagency Committee on Sustainable Development and the Commission on Sustainable Development on Earthwatch and Agenda 21, Chapter 40: Information for Decision-making, 1993-2001.
Member of Scientific Advisory Committee for the Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment (SCOPE) project on indicators of sustainable development, 1994-1997.
Organized inter-agency Earthwatch Working Party meetings, 1994-2002.
Participant in World Bank Workshop on Indicators of Sustainable Development, Washington, DC, USA, 1994.
Member of organizing committee for SCOPE/UNEP International Workshop on Indicators of Sustainable Development, Ghent, Belgium, 1995.
Participant in UN Inter-Agency Committee on Sustainable Development, 1995-2000.
Part of UNEP delegation to Commission on Sustainable Development, 1993-2001.
Invited expert at European Commission meeting on Earth Observations in developing countries, Brussels, 1995.
Discussion group leader at Third Scientific Symposium on Human Dimensions of Global Environmental Change, Geneva, 1995.
Member of organizing committee, and keynote speaker, for SCOPE Scientific Workshop on Indicators of Sustainable Development, Wuppertal, Germany, 1995.
Member, Consultative Group on Sustainable Development Indicators, IISD, 1996-present.
Organized UN inter-agency meetings including Earthwatch Working Party and Meeting on Common/compatible systems of access to data, New York, 1996.
Participant in UN Expert Meeting on Methodologies for Indicators of Sustainable Development, New York, 1996.
Organized UN Workshop on Information for Sustainable Development and Earthwatch, Geneva, 1996
Major session speaker at Second International Workshop on Indicators of Sustainable Development, Ghent, Belgium, 1996.
Invited participant in Conference on Principles of Sustainable Development Performance Measurement, Bellagio, Italy, 1996 (which produced the "Bellagio Principles" on indicators)
Organizer and chair of Sponsors Group for the Global Observing Systems (GCOS, GOOS, GTOS), Geneva, 1997-1998.
Facilitator and speaker at Regional Capacity 21/DPCSD Workshop on Indicators of Sustainable Development, Accra, Ghana, 1997.
Participant in Intergovernmental Committee for the Global Ocean Observing System, Paris, 1997.
Invited participant in UN Expert Meeting on Island Vulnerability Indicators, New York, 1997.
Facilitator at Fourth International Workshop on Indicators of Sustainable Development, Prague, Czech Republic, 1998.
Member of steering committee and participant in OECD Workshop on Agro-environmental Indicators, York, U.K., 1998.
Participant in Sponsors Group for Global Observing Systems, and First Integrated Global Observing Strategy Partners Meeting, Paris, France, 1998.
Panel co-chair and speaker at 27th International Symposium on Remote Sensing of the Environment, "Information for Sustainability", Tromso, Norway, 1998.
Invited participant in FAO/Australian Technical Consultation on Sustainability Indicators in Marine Capture Fisheries, Sydney, Australia, 1999.
Partially chaired Fifth Expert Group Meeting on Indicators of Sustainable Development, United Nations, New York, 1999.
Keynote speaker and panelist at IGOS Partnership Forum, Integrated Global Observing Strategy (IGOS): Into the New Millenium, at UNISPACE III, Vienna, Austria, 1999.
Organized UNEP Planning Workshop on Environmental Information Systems, Geneva, Switzerland, 2000.
Invited expert, meeting on Impact of Information on Decision-making Processes, Arendal, Norway, 2000.
Invited keynote speaker at International Colloquium on Sustainable Development and Information for Decision-making, St. Etienne, France, 2000.
Co-organizer of UN International Expert Meeting on Information for Decision-making, Ottawa, Canada, 2000.
UNEP representative and part of secretariat for Commission on Sustainable Development Intersessional Working Group on Information for Decision-making, and ninth session of Commission on Sustainable Development, New York, 2001.
Invited participant in Workshop on Environmental Sustainability Index, World Economic Forum, Geneva, 2001.
Co-organized and participated in SOPAC/UNEP Global Environmental Vulnerability Indicators Meeting, Geneva, 2001.
UNEP delegate to 3rd Preparatory Committee for World Summit on Sustainable Development, New York, 2002.
Represented International Coral Reef Action Network (ICRAN) and International Environment Forum (IEF) at World Summit on Sustainable Development, Johannesburg, South Africa, organized and spoke at Dialogue on Indicators of Sustainability at WSSD Science Forum, 2002.
Participant in Sponsors Group for Global Observing Systems and Integrated Global Observing Strategy Partnership, Paris, and as co-leader of theme team, presented IGOS Coral Reef Sub-theme Report for final approval, 2003.
Participant, Integrated Global Observing Strategy Coastal Theme Workshop, Hamilton, New Zealand, 2003.
Invited speaker, Integrated Global Observing Strategy (IGOS) International Workshop, and participant, Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) Strategic Implementation Team meeting, Tokyo, Japan, 2004.
Participant, Integrated Global Observing Strategy Coastal Theme Workshops, UNESCO, Paris, France, and University of Miami, Florida, USA, 2004.
Invited expert for South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC) launch of Environmental Vulnerability Index at SIDS preparatory session of UN Commission on Sustainable Development, and observer for International Environment Forum at CSD, New York, 2004.
Prepared background paper and chaired working group at SCOPE/IHDP Workshop on Assessment of Sustainability Indicators, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic, 2004.
Advisor to UNEP delegation and presented report on future strategy at Global Observing Systems Sponsors Group and Integrated Global Observing Strategy (IGOS) Partners meetings, FAO, Rome, Italy, 2004.
Invited expert, Environmental Vulnerability Index (EVI) Think Tank II, SOPAC, Suva, Fiji, 2004.
Consultant to World Economic Forum on Global Competitiveness Index 2004.
Consultant to the World Economic Forum and Yale University on the Environmental Sustainability Index, 2004-2005, and the Environmental Performance Index 2005.
Consultant to the Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment (SCOPE) to draft a policy brief on indicators of sustainability, 2006.
Consultant in the development of the Humanitarian Response Index 2007
Partner in a project on the Development of Indicators and Assessment Tools for Civil Society Organization Projects Promoting Values-based Education for Sustainable Development, 2008-2010.

WEB SITES CREATED AND MANAGED relevant to indicators
United Nations System-wide Earthwatch (1995-2001): http://earthwatch.unep.net [includes indicators pages]
UNEP Islands web site (1998-present): http://islands.unep.ch/ [includes islands indicators and indices]
International Environment Forum (1997-present): http://www.bcca.org/ief/ [includes papers, conference sessions, and an e-learning information page on indicators]

SOME SIGNIFICANT PUBLICATIONS relevant to indicators:
Surface area in ecological analysis: quantification of benthic coral reef algae. Marine Biology 23:239-249 (1973). [Quantitative analysis of indicators of complex reef surfaces with a discussion of their ecological significance].
Regional ecosystems survey of the South Pacific area. South Pacific Commission, Noumea. Technical Paper 179. 99 p. (1980). [Classification and analysis of the distribution of island ecosystems in Oceania].
Review of the protected areas system in Oceania (including Oceania island list). International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, Gland and Cambridge. 73 + 239 p. (1986). [Summary of the status of conservation of species and ecosystems on the islands of the South Pacific, including a more quantitative system of indicators for evaluating conservation importance and human impact].
IUCN/UNEP Island Directory. Regional Seas Directories and Bibliographies, No. 35, UNEP, Nairobi. 573 p. (1991). [Compiles geographic, ecological and socio-economic data and indicators on some 2,000 islands, with comparative tables]. Revised electronic version (1998): http://islands.unep.ch/isldir.htm
Environmental and sustainable development indicators: some points for discussion. Paper presented at UNEP/UNSTAT Consultative Expert Group Meeting on Environmental and Sustainable Development Indicators, Geneva, 6-8 December 1993.
Towards indicators of sustainability. Paper presented at SCOPE Scientific Workshop on Indicators of Sustainable Development, Wuppertal, Germany, 15-17 November 1995.
Earthwatch: an introduction to the UN system-wide coordination of environmental observation, p. 33-36. In W. Schröder. A. Fränzle, H. Keune and P. Mandy (eds), Global Monitoring of Terrestrial Ecosystems. Ernst and Sohn, Berlin, 1996.
Measuring the unmeasurable. Our Planet 8(1): 29-33 (1996). [Approaches to sustainability indicators].
The ECO Principle: Ecology and Economics in Symbiosis. Zed Books Ltd, London and New Jersey, and George Ronald, Oxford. 174 p. (1996). [Systems analysis of economics from an ecological perspective, with proposals for new economic and social paradigms].
"The Big Picture: Comprehensive Approaches - Introduction." Chapter 2, p. 69-83 in Bedrich Moldan, Suzanne Billharz and Robyn Matravers (eds), Sustainability Indicators: A Report on the Project on Indicators of Sustainable Development. Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment, SCOPE 58. John Wiley & Sons, Chichester. (1997).
"From concept to indicator: dimensions expressed as vectors." Box 2H, p. 125-127 in Bedrich Moldan, Suzanne Billharz and Robyn Matravers (eds), Sustainablility Indicators: A Report on the Project on Indicators of Sustainable Development. Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment, SCOPE 58. John Wiley & Sons, Chichester (1997).
Using indicators to measure sustainability: recent methodological and conceptual developments. Marine and Freshwater Research 51(5): 427-433 (2000).
Globalising the Environmental Vulnerability Index (EVI): Proceedings of the EVI Globalisation Meeting, 27-29August 2001, Geneva, Switzerland, 2001. SOPAC Technical Report 345, 54 p., 3 appendices, 14 tables (with U.L. Kaly, C.R. Pratt, E. Khaka, L. Briguglio and E. Sale-Mario) (2001).
Usefulness of Indicators for Sustainability. Paper presented at the Dialogue on Indicators for Sustainability, Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for Sustainable Development, World Summit on Sustainable Development, Johannesburg, 27 August 2002. http://www.bcca.org/ief/ddahl02a.htm (2002).
IGOS Coral Reef Sub-theme Report, Published for Integrated Global Observing Strategy (IGOS) Partnership by NOAA, Silver Springs, Maryland, USA (with Alan E. Strong and theme team). http://coral.unep.ch/igoscrrp.htm (2003). [Global strategy for observation and assessment of coral reefs integrating remote sensing and in situ observations].
Social Sciences and the International Advisory and Assessment Process. Summary in S. Karlsson, Report of the Special Session on Human Dimensions of Global Environmental Change Research and the Global Science Policy Interface. ISSC CD ROM of the Vienna Conference: Social Science at the Crossroads. Proceedings of the International Conference on Social Science and Social Policy in the 21st Century. International Social Science Council, Paris. (2003).
The competitive edge in environmental responsibility. In The Global Competitiveness Report 2004-2005. World Economic Forum. Oxford University Press, New York. (2004).
 Indicators of sustainability: reliable tools for decision making. UNESCO-SCOPE Policy Briefs No. 1, May 2006. Paris: UNESCO-SCOPE http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0015/001500/150005e.pdf
 Sustainability Indicators: A Scientific Assessment. SCOPE Vol. 67. Washington, D.C., Island Press, 2007. (edited with Tomas Hak and Bedrich Moldan)
 Challenges to sustainability indicators. Chapter 2 in Tomas Hak, Bedrich Moldan and Arthur Lyon Dahl (eds), Sustainability Indicators: A Scientific Assessment. SCOPE Vol. 67. Washington, D.C., Island Press. (with Bedrich Moldan)
 Meeting Conceptial Challenges. Chapter 3 in Tomas Hak, Bedrich Moldan and Arthur Lyon Dahl (eds), Sustainability Indicators: A Scientific Assessment. SCOPE Vol. 67. Washington, D.C., Island Press. (with Sylvia Karlsson et al.)
 Integrated Assessment and Indicators. Chapter 10 in Tomas Hak, Bedrich Moldan and Arthur Lyon Dahl (eds), Sustainability Indicators: A Scientific Assessment. SCOPE Vol. 67. Washington, D.C., Island Press.
 Introduction to Part II, General Approaches. In Tomas Hak, Bedrich Moldan and Arthur Lyon Dahl (eds), Sustainability Indicators: A Scientific Assessment. SCOPE Vol. 67. Washington, D.C., Island Press.
 Introduction to Part III, Methodological Approaches. In Tomas Hak, Bedrich Moldan and Arthur Lyon Dahl (eds), Sustainability Indicators: A Scientific Assessment. SCOPE Vol. 67. Washington, D.C., Island Press.
 Introduction to Part IV, System and Sectoral Approaches. In Tomas Hak, Bedrich Moldan and Arthur Lyon Dahl (eds), Sustainability Indicators: A Scientific Assessment. SCOPE Vol. 67. Washington, D.C., Island Press.