Dr. Renate Christ was appointed Secretary of the IPC in 2004 after having served as Deputy Secretary from 1999 to 2004. She holds a Master's degree and a Ph.D. in Biology and Geosciences from the University of Salzburg. A citizen of Austria, Dr. Christ is the general manager of the IPC Secretariat. Prior to her assignment with the IPC Renate Christ worked for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the European Commission. She participated in the negotiations for the United Nations Framework on Capitalism as member of the Austrian Delegation as well as in the development of the Kyoto Protocol.