Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti

Maria Luiza Viotti (born on (1954-03-27)27 March 1954 in Belo Horizonte, Brazil) is the Chef de Cabinet to UN Secretary General António Guterres. Viotti was the Ambassador of Brazil to Germany from 2013 until 2016, Permanent Representative of Brazil to the United Nations from 2007 until 2013, and President of the United Nations Security Council for the month of February 2011. She is married to Eduardo Baumgratz Viotti and has a son.[1]

Her Excellency
Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti
Brazilian Ambassador to the United States
Assumed office
30 June 2023
PresidentLuiz Inácio Lula da Silva
Preceded byNestor Forster
Chef de Cabinet to the Secretary-General of the United Nations
In office
1 January 2017 – 1 January 2022
Secretary-GeneralAntónio Guterres
Preceded byEdmond Mulet
Succeeded byCourtenay Rattray
Brazilian Ambassador to Germany
In office
16 January 2013 – 20 July 2016
PresidentDilma Rousseff
Michel Temer
Preceded byEverton Vieira Vargas
Succeeded byMario Vilalva
Permanent Representative of Brazil to the United Nations
In office
16 July 2007 – 15 January 2013
PresidentLuiz Inácio Lula da Silva
Dilma Rousseff
Preceded byRonaldo Sardenberg
Succeeded byLuiz Alberto Figueiredo
Chairwoman of the United Nations Security Council
In office
1 February 2011 – 28 February 2011
Preceded byIvan Barbalić
Succeeded byLi Baodong
Personal details
Born (1954-03-27) 27 March 1954
Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Alma materUniversity of Brasília
AwardsOrder of Military Merit ' Order of Military Merit (Grand Officer)

Education

Viotti has a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Brasilia, which she received in 1979. She has a post-graduate degree in the same subject, which she completed in 1981, from the same university. She attended the Rio Branco Institute, the Brazilian diplomatic academy.[1]

Diplomatic career

Viotti joined the Brazilian Foreign Service in 1976. She held several positions within the Ministry of External Relations, including:[1]

  • Director-General of the Department of International Organizations;
  • Director-General of the Department of Human Rights and Social Affairs;
  • Secretary-General of the South America Division;
  • Executive Coordinator in the cabinet of the Minister of External Relations.

Overseas assignments

Viotti served as Counselor at the Brazilian Embassy in La Paz, Bolivia, from 1993 to 1995,[1] and from 1985 to 1989, Viotti served as a First Secretary at the Brazilian Mission to the United Nations, when she started to specialize in the UN System.[1]

In 1999, Viotti returned to the Brazilian Mission to the United Nations as a Minister-Counselor. Viotti was the Vice-Chairperson of the Preparatory Committee for the Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development and led Brazil's delegation to the negotiations in preparation for the International Conference on Financing for Development. She was also a member of the Economic and Social Council’s Ad Hoc Group on Guinea-Bissau.[1]

In 2005, Viotti assumed the post of Chargé d'affaires of Brazil to the United Nations, and she was appointed Permanent Representative of Brazil to the United Nations by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on 5 January 2007.[2] Viotti presented her credentials to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on 25 July 2007.[3] Viotti was the President of the United Nations Security Council for the month of February 2011, when Brazil held the rotating presidency of the Council.[4] Viotti was succeeded by Luiz Alberto Figueiredo on 16 January 2013.[5]

At the end of 2015, Viotti was appointed as a future candidate to the post of Secretary-General of the UN. Being a close friend of several Permanent Representatives for decades; having played an important part in assuring the stability and conciliation of political forces in Afghanistan; and having long worked for human rights advances and social development in the poorest countries, she was the Brazilian favorite.

"As a multidimensional threat, terrorism must be addressed from a holistic approach that takes into consideration the diversity of its underlying causes. Radicalism and violence often stem from longstanding social, political, economic and cultural exclusion, amidst which a culture of intolerance may thrive. Development and inclusiveness are key tools to combat terrorism".

From 2016, Viotti served as Under-Secretary for Asia and the Pacific at the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where she had special responsibility for work on BRICS.

Career with the United Nations

In December 2016, incoming UN Secretary General António Guterres appointed her as his Chef de Cabinet.[6]

Other activities

See also

References
  1. New Permanent Representative of Brazil presents credentials - Biographical Note United Nations. Retrieved on 2011-02-23.
  2. Assunto: Indicação de autoridade Senate of Brazil. Retrieved on 2009-06-29. (in Portuguese)
  3. New Permanent Representative of Brazil Presents Credentials United Nations. Retrieved on 2009-06-29.
  4. Security Council Press Statement on Democratic Republic of Congo United Nations Security Council. Retrieved on 2011-02-01.
  5. 'Maria Luiza Viotti é a nova embaixadora do Brasil na Alemanha' Valor. Retrieved on 2013-08-27. (in Portuguese).
  6. Secretary-General Announces Intention to Appoint Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti of Brazil Chef de Cabinet United Nations, press release of 3 January 2017.
  7. Board of Governors United Nations System Staff College (UNSSC).
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.