Dr. Edmundo Werna is an expert in urban development and the construction industry, currently working at the headquarters of the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Geneva. Before joining the ILO, Werna worked at the headquarters of the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme, where he designed its urban development agenda. Previously, he consulted to several development stakeholders, such as local governments, NGOs and international agencies (e.g. European Commission, the World Bank, UN-Habitat, UNCDF/UNDP, WHO). He also worked for a number of years in Mozambique and Brazil. In parallel to his practical work, Dr. Werna also has extensive academic experience, in British and Brazilian universities and the Woodrow Wilson International Centre for Scholars in the USA. He has a PhD in urban development from the University of London and has published books in the UK, USA and Brazil, plus many chapters in edited books and several articles in scientific journals. He is also a member of the editorial board of the journal Habitat International. Werna received a number of awards, including the Earth Summit 2002 Sustainable Development Award (given by RCA and Stakeholder Forum for Our Common Future), the Otto Koenigsberger Award for Best Article of the journal Habitat International (1996); honours mention for two articles in the Jorge Hardoy Prize (2000). He co-wrote a chapter of the edited book which won the British Medical Association's Prize for Best Book (1997). One of his WHO projects was chosen as best practice for the Hanover 2000 Exhibition. Two UNV projects also received prizes, and a third one has been selected as Best Practice for the Un-Habitat / Dubai Awards.