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title: "ACAP appoints Australia’s Gaia Puleston as Chair of the Meeting of Parties at its Seventh Session, taking place this week online"
---

# ACAP appoints Australia’s Gaia Puleston as Chair of the Meeting of Parties at its Seventh Session, taking place this week online

![Gaia Puleston](https://acap.aq/images/stories/acap/People/Gaia_Puleston.jpg)  
*Gaia Puleston, Australian Antarctic Division*

 Following the [welcome address](https://acap.aq/latest-news/4339-tasmania-governor-barbara-baker-formally-opens-the-seventh-meeting-of-the-parties-to-acap-with-a-virtual-address) by Her Excellency the Honourable Barbara Baker AC, the Governor of the State of Tasmania, the Seventh Session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Agreement ([MoP7](https://acap.aq/documents/meeting-of-the-parties/mop7)), meeting virtually from Monday this week, appointed [Ms Gaia Puleston](https://au.linkedin.com/in/gaia-puleston-59590117b) of the Australian Delegation as Chair.  Following her appointment to the role she said: “I am looking forward to working with you all over this week to support of the objectives of the Agreement”.

 Gaia Puleston has been General Manager, Policy & International in the [Australian Antarctic Division](https://www.antarctica.gov.au/), Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment since September 2021.  Prior to joining the AAD she was Acting Assistant Secretary in the [Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet](https://www.pmc.gov.au/) where she deputised the national Climate Coordinator.  She has served in several Federal Government departments in Australia and abroad in Australian Missions in New York and Vienna for a number of years.

 Gaia holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Asian Studies (Chinese), as well as a Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice, all from the [Australian National University](https://www.anu.edu.au/) in Canberra.

 Gaia is the second woman to become a Chair of the ACAP Meeting of Parties, following Ms Gunn Paulsen who Chaired the Third Session ([MoP3](https://acap.aq/documents/meeting-of-the-parties/mop3)) in Norway in 2009.  [Dr Mike Double](https://www.antarctica.gov.au/science/meet-our-scientists/dr-mike-double/), Chair of the [ACAP Advisory Committee](https://acap.aq/documents/advisory-committee), and also from the Australian Antarctic Division, is acting as MoP7 Vice Chair.

 With thanks to Kirsty Manning, Australian Antarctic Division.

 *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 10 May 2022*