María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés

María Fernanda Espinosa was the President of the United Nations General Assembly 2018-2019, becoming the fourth woman and the first from Latin America and the Caribbean to hold the position. Espinosa is a distinguished academic, diplomat, politician, poet, and linguist who has also served in high-level government positions, including Ecuador’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Integration (2007-2008 and 2017-2018) and Minister of National Defense (2012-2014). She has led regional and international negotiations on bilateral and multilateral issues for over a decade.

With over three decades of developing roles in academia, NGOs, international organizations, and the government, Espinosa has established herself as an expert in international relations, peace and security, sustainable development, climate change, gender equality, and the rights of indigenous peoples.

Espinosa continues to hold several influential positions in the global arena. These include Member and Executive Director of GWLvoices; President of the Cities Alliance; member of the Board of Trustees of the International Crisis Group and the Board of Trustees of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center; Co-Chair of the Climate Governance Commission; Member of the UN Secretary General´s Advisory Board on Human Security, the High-Level Advisory Council for the UN Alliance of Civilizations; and Commissioner of the International Commission on the Economics of Water.