Marco Silvestri is currently the Deputy Head of the Center for Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization (CSAM) of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), where he has worked since 2019, mainly on regional standards for testing of agricultural machinery, integrated management of crop residue, climate-smart mechanization solutions, gender mainstreaming and collaboration with other UN agencies in the UN Country Team in China, among others.

Arnaud Heckmann is the Country Operation Head at the Asian Development Bank’s Nepal Resident Mission. He was formerly Principal Urban Development Specialist at ADB’s East Asia Urban and Social Sectors Division. He has extensive experience designing, processing, and administering integrated economic and urban development projects and technical assistance promoting transformative approaches, inclusive and green livable cities, climate change adaptation and mitigation, environmental sustainability, and green urban-rural development.