Selim Guvener is ICARDA’s General Counsel, bringing over 20 years of international legal experience across Latin America, Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. He provides strategic advice on governance, compliance, intellectual property, and risk management, ensuring ICARDA’s work aligns with international standards and its mission to advance resilient dryland agriculture.
Before joining ICARDA, Selim served for more than a decade as General Counsel at the International Potato Center (CIP) in Peru and as Acting Group General Counsel for CGIAR in France. His career also includes advisory roles with CIFOR-ICRAF in Kenya, AfricaRice in Benin, and international law firms in Turkey and the United Kingdom, giving him a strong track record in supporting global research-for-development organizations.
In addition to his legal career, Selim draws on his personal farming background. He produces organic-certified crops on his small farm in Turkey, which provides him with first-hand insight into the challenges facing farmers and strengthens the practical relevance of his legal expertise.
Selim holds an LL.M. in Law from the University of Cambridge, a Master’s in Advanced European and International Studies from C.I.F.E., and additional legal qualifications from City University London, BPP Law School, Grenoble University, and Istanbul University. A qualified lawyer and certified plant variety rights trainer, he is fluent in English, Turkish, French, Spanish, and Portuguese.