Past Presidents
73rd Session: María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés
Portrait of Ms. María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, President of the 73rd session of the General Assembly of the United Nations. UN Photo
María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés was elected President of the 73rd session of the General Assembly of the United Nations on 5 June 2018. At the time of her election, she had more than 20 years of multilateral experience and experience as former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility of Ecuador.
Ms. María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés presided the 73rd session of the General Assembly from 18 September 2018 to 16 September 2019.
Also on 5 June 2018, the General Assembly elected 21 Vice-Presidents for the 73rd session:
- from the African States: Algeria, Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Gambia, Namibia and the Sudan;
- from the Asian-Pacific States: Cambodia, Cyprus, Iraq, Japan and Qatar;
- from the Eastern European States: Ukraine;
- from the Latin American and Caribbean States: Guyana and Panama;
- from the Western European and Other States: San Marino and Spain;
- the five permanent members of the Security Council: China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America.
Priorities
H.E. María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés ’s goal, as President of the 73rd session of the General Assembly, was to make the United Nations relevant to all people. Her priorities were as follows:
Decent Work
- Highlighting the future of work by celebrating efforts to provide decent and meaningful employment opportunities for youth, women and the unemployed
Persons with Disabilities
- Highlighting the challenges of access to employment, healthcare and public spaces that face persons with disabilities to deepen political and social commitment to them
Environmental Action
- Promoting the implementation of the Paris Agreement and highlighting the dangers of our pervasive use of plastics to our health, food, and ecosystems
Migration and Refugees
- Promoting the UN’s milestone agreements like the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration and the Global Compact of Refugees
Gender Equality
- Prioritizing our commitment to women and girls who are victims of violence and to girls and adolescents who demand access to quality education
Revitalization of the UN
- Promoting the revitalization agenda and bringing the work of the General Assembly closer to the people
Youth, Peace and Security
- Enhancing the power of young people, to promote peace and security
Team
- H.E. Ms. María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, President
- Mr. Kwabena Osei-Danquah, Chef de Cabinet
- Ms. Yanerit Morgan Sotomayor, Deputy Chef de Cabinet
- Ms. Nehali Anupriya, Analyst (Oceans, SIDS, Plastics)
- Mr. Diego Barreiro, Coordination Officer
- Mr. Márcio Burity, Senior Adviser [since March 2019]
- Ms. Yi Chenxia, Adviser (Environment, Climate Change) [since December 2018]
- Mr. Marcelo Costa, Adviser (Third Committee, Health, Human Rights)
- Ms. Sara Al-Emadi, Adviser (Peace and Security, Middle East)
- Ms. Noemi Espinoza Madrid, Senior Adviser (Strategic Engagements)
- Mr. Andrés Fiallo, Senior Political Adviser
- Ms. Toni Shae-Freckleton, Team Leader and Senior Adviser (Sustainable Development)
- Mr. Eugenio V. Garcia, Team Leader and Senior Adviser (Peace and Security, Humanitarian and Legal Affairs)
- Ms. Monica Grayley, Spokesperson
- Ms. Khalilah Hackman, Adviser (African Peacebuilding, Disarmament, First Committee)
- Mr. Mohd Hafiz Othman, Political Coordinator and Senior Adviser
- Ms. Hana Al Hashimi, Senior Adviser (Environment, Climate Action, ICT)
- Ms. Nadia Kalb, Legal Adviser [since January 2019]
- Ms. Inga Kanchaveli, Adviser (Sixth Committee, Counter-Terrorism, Human Trafficking, Illicit Drugs)
- Ms. Katharina Kandt, Adviser (Communications) [until November 2018]
- Ms. Denise Kling, Adviser (Communications, Innovation, Partnerships) [since October 2018]
- Ms. Xiaomei Li, Senior Adviser (Social Affairs, Disabilities, Youth)
- Mr. Mateus Luemba, Senior Adviser (Africa, Indigenous Issues, Women, Youth, Peace and Security)
- Ms. Lea Matheson, Senior Adviser (Migration, Humanitarian Issues)
- Ms. Raquel Martins, Special Assistant to the Chef de Cabinet (Security Council Reform)
- Mr. Abdelghani Merabet, Team Leader and Senior Adviser (Budget, Management, Reforms)
- Mr. Carl Mercer, Communications and Campaign Adviser
- Mr. Vahd Nabyl A. Mulachela, Adviser (Management, Strategic Partnerships, Youth)
- Ms. Carolina Nazarro, Communications Adviser and Personal Assistant
- Ms. Evelyne Ojwang, Senior Administrative Assistant
- Ms. Harriet Osias, Scheduling Officer
- Ms. Thanavon Pamaranon, Adviser (Fifth Committee, South-South Cooperation, UN Reforms)
- Mr. Andrea Pontiroli, Senior Adviser (Migration, Refugees, Humanitarian Issues)
- Ms. Gabrielle Rajkumar, Staff Assistant [until October 2018]
- Ms. Natalie Samarasinghe, Speechwriter (English) [since February 2019]
- Ms. Ana Sandoval, Speechwriter (Spanish)
- Ms. Eva Schäfer, Adviser (Gender)
- Mr. Mark Seddon, Media Adviser, Speechwriter
- Ms. Nevena Toaso, Team Leader (Communications, Innovation, Partnerships)
- Mr. Jonathan Viera, Senior Adviser (Second Committee, Financing for Development, MICs, LDCs, LLDCs)
