Ken Kitatani serves on the Board of Directors of ICEED as Governance Officer, having previously held roles as Director General and Chief of the Executive Board and Committee. Since joining ICEED in 2012, he has guided the organization’s growth at the intersection of environmental economics, ethics, and sustainable development.
With decades of experience in the United Nations, international organizations, and government agencies, Ken is recognized for his expertise on ethics and values related to Indigenous Peoples, biodiversity, and education. He also advises and lectures at Buddhist and Shinto organizations, interfaith societies, and participates in Vatican-sponsored working groups. His international leadership includes serving on the OECD AI Expert Committee, the European Council’s AI and Human Rights Committees, and the UNECE WP29 committee. He is also a Permanent Observer to the UNFCCC, where he contributes to its Standing Committee on Finance and the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform.
Ken’s broader advisory roles include the Center for Earth Ethics, the Grounded Foundation, the Loka Initiative (University of Wisconsin–Madison), and Indigenous Affairs for General Russel Honoré. He is a former board member of the Society for Conservation Biology.