The IISD RS team has received with great sadness news about the death of Mario Ramos, Senior Biodiversity Specialist and Acting Team Leader for Biodiversity in the Global Environment Facility. As Monique Barbut, CEO and Chairperson of the Global Environment Facility, has indicated, Ramos joined the GEF at its inception and was greatly responsible for carving out the initial GEF biodiversity strategy that shaped what would become the largest biodiversity portfolio globally. He promoted the effectiveness of the Convention on Biological Diversity, served as a champion for poor communities, indigenous peoples, and those affected by development, and will also be remembered for his kindness, generosity and concern for his friends and colleagues.