Maria Fernanda Espinosa

Maria Fernanda Espinosa was the President of the United Nations General Assembly from 2018 to 2019, becoming the fourth woman and the first from Latin America and the Caribbean to hold the position. She has over 30 years of multilateral experience in international negotiations, peace, security, defense, disarmament, human rights, Indigenous peoples, gender equality, sustainable development, environment, biodiversity, climate change, and multilateral cooperation. She has served Ecuador as Minister of Foreign Affairs (twice) and Minister of National Defense. In 2008, she was the first woman to become the Permanent Representative of Ecuador to the United Nations in New York.

Currently, she serves on the Nizami Ganjavi International Center Board and holds leadership roles with Cities Alliance, GWL Voices, International Crisis Group, the Climate Governance Commission, Coalition for the UN We Need, Debt Relief for a Green and Inclusive Recovery, Global Council on Inequality and many others.