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IPEN

A Toxics-Free Future

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IPEN Welcomes New Global Co-Chair Yuyun Ismawati

Yuyun will join Co-Chair Pamela Miller as Tadesse Amera Steps Down

See Pamela Miller's tribute to Tadesse and welcome to Yuyun here.

Yuyun Ismawati, a dedicated Indonesian national with over thirty years of work in advocacy for environmental health and for strong policies on chemicals and waste, has been elected as IPEN Co-Chair, the key leadership position in the global network. Yuyun, who received the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize in 2009 for her groundbreaking work on reducing pollution and waste, will share chairing responsibilities with Co-Chair Pamela Miller of Alaska Community Action on Toxics. IPEN, a network of over 600 public interest environmental health groups in more than 125 countries, works to eliminate threats to health and the environment from the world’s most harmful chemicals, with the goal of a toxics-free future for all. 

Yuyun is a co-founder and Senior Advisor of the Nexus3 Foundation, the leading Indonesian public interest organization working to protect people, especially vulnerable populations, from the impacts of development on public health and the environment and towards a future of justice and toxics-free, sustainable living. Her career has been characterized by her insightful and passionate drive to address critical environmental challenges through collaborative approaches and innovative solutions that lead to policy changes. She has deep experience in working to address toxic threats, including mercury in gold mining, chemicals in plastics, and other chemicals and waste issues. 

Yuyun has served as an IPEN Steering Committee member, a leader in its mercury elimination work, and a key voice in IPEN’s participation in the Plastics Treaty talks, among other leadership roles. “Through my engagement with IPEN, I have come to share a deep understanding of the multifaceted nature of environmental problems and the importance of an integrated global response,” she notes. “I look forward to working with Pam, and as Co-Chairs, we will work together to build consensus, hone IPEN’s strategic vision, and demonstrate IPEN’s unwavering commitment to sustainability and a toxics-free future for all.”

“Yuyun has been a longtime leader within IPEN, and I feel privileged to have this chance to serve with her as Co-Chair,” said IPEN Co-Chair Pam Miller. “These are critical days for the work to address the triple planetary crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, and toxic pollution, and Yuyun brings decades of experience that we urgently need to address these interlinked challenges. I know that she will be a vital force in energizing IPEN’s vibrant, effective network to achieve our mission of health and justice for all.”

In addition to the Goldman Prize, Yuyun is an Ashoka Fellow and a Leadership for Environment and Development (LEAD) Fellow, a testament to her leadership in sustainable development. Her academic qualifications include a bachelor's degree in environmental engineering from the Bandung Institute of Technology, Indonesia, an MSc in Environmental Change and Management from the University of Oxford in 2011, and a diploma in Medical Research - International Health from the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, which she earned in 2018. 

Dr. Tadesse Amera is stepping down following his service to IPEN as Co-Chair since 2018. During his time as Co-Chair, IPEN has achieved significant victories in its work on highly hazardous pesticides, toxic plastics, mercury elimination, and many other areas. The organization also realized significant growth during this period, expanding the network and growing the staff and support capacity to the Participating Organizations, resulting in a more coordinated and influential role for IPEN in global policy forums. Dr. Amera was recently named International Co-Coordinator of Pesticide Action Network International, a frequent collaborator with IPEN on pesticide issues, and remains Executive Director of Pesticide Action Nexus Ethiopia.