H.E. Maria Fernanda Espinosa
Former Minister of Foreign Affairs and of Defense of Ecuador, former President of the UN General AssemblyEcuadorian scholar, diplomat and politician, Ms. Espinosa has also held many leadership positions within the Government of Ecuador, serving as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Defense and Cultural and Natural Heritage. Furthermore, she was the first female ambassador and permanent representative of Ecuador to the United Nations offices
in New York and Geneva.
Most recently, Ms. Espinosa served as President of the 73rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly, becoming the fourth woman in history and the first from Latin America and the Caribbean to preside over this body.
Among other current responsibilities, she serves as Member and Executive Director of Global Women Leaders for Change and Inclusion, GWLvoices; member of the Board of Trustees of the International Crisis Group; Member of the High-Level Advisory Council for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, UNAOC; Chair of the Board of Women in Global Health, the International Commission on the Economics of Water.
Espinosa was declared by the BBC as one of the 100 inspiring and influential women from around the world for 2019.