West Asia Regional Director and Representative, UNEP
Sami Dimassi is the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Representative and Regional Director for West Asia. With over 25 years of experience in multilateral environmental diplomacy, strategic leadership, and policy reform, he has strengthened UNEP’s impact in the region. His work focuses on climate change, sustainability, renewable energy, and environmental governance.
He has successfully led complex negotiations with Member States, aligning national priorities with Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Mr. Dimassi emphasizes cooperation, capacity-building, and policy coherence, ensuring regional perspectives influence global environmental decision-making.
Before his current role, he held senior UN positions including Deputy Director of the Science Division, Director of Private Sector and Partner Relations, and Head of the Innovation Branch. A Lebanese Canadian, he holds a Master’s from the University of Waterloo and a Bachelor’s from the University of Ottawa, and has served in duty stations worldwide including New York, The Hague, Hamburg, Nairobi, Manama, and Beirut.