United Nations High-level Advisory Board on Economic and Social Affairs: Emeritus Members

Emeritus Members of the United Nations High-level Advisory Board on Economic and Social Affairs (2018-2024)

Alicia Bárcena, Secretary of the Environment and Natural Resources of Mexico; former Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)
Giancarlo Corsetti, FBA, Pierre Werner Chair and Professor of Economics at the European University Institute
Diane Coyle, Inaugural Bennett Professor of Public Policy, University of Cambridge
Cristina Duarte, Special Adviser on Africa, United Nations; former Minister of Finance, Planning and Public Administration (2006-2016), Cabo Verde
Marcel Fratzscher, President of DIW Berlin
Merit E. Janow, Dean Emerita, School of International and Public Affairs; Professor of Practice in International Economic Law and International Affairs, Columbia University
Nargis Kassenova, Senior Fellow and Director of the Program on Central Asia at the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies, Harvard University
Ricardo Lagos, Honorary Chairman of the Inter-American Dialogue; former President of Chile (2000-2006)
Justin Yifu Lin, Dean, Institute of New Structural Economics, Professor and Honorary Dean of National School of Development, Peking University
Dani Rodrik, Ford Foundation Professor of International Political Economy, Harvard Kennedy School
Jeffrey D. Sachs, University Professor and Director, Center for Sustainable Development in the Earth Institute, Columbia University
Heizo Takenaka, Professor Emeritus, Keio University; Professor, Toyo University
Ernesto Zedillo, Director of the Yale Center for the Study of Globalization; former President of Mexico (1994-2000)
Min Zhu, Chairman, National Institute of Financial Research, Tsinghua University

Alicia Bárcena, Mexico (2021-2024)

Secretary of the Environment and Natural Resources of Mexico; former Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)

Alicia Bárcena was the Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Mexico from 3 July 2023 to 1 October 2024, and Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) from 1 July 2008 to 31 March 2022. She had previously served as the UnderSecretary-General for Management at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, Chef de Cabinet and Deputy Chef de Cabinet to the former Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan. She held the post of Deputy Executive Secretary of ECLAC and Director of the Environment and Human Settlements Division. Ms. Bárcena has published numerous articles on sustainable development, public policy, environmental issues, and public participation.

Giancarlo Corsetti, Italy (2018-2024)

FBA, Pierre Werner Chair and Professor of Economics at the European University Institute

Giancarlo Corsetti, FBA, is Pierre Werner Chair and Professor of Economics at the European University Institute. He previously taught at the University of Cambridge, where he was a Fellow of Clare College and Director of the Cambridge-INET Institute. He is a leading scholar in international economics and open macro with pioneering contributions on currency, financial and sovereign crises, monetary and fiscal policy in open economy, and international transmission and global imbalances. Professor Corsetti is a consultant at the European Central Bank, the Bank of England, the Bank of International Settlement and a regular visiting professor in central banks and international institutions. He is also a research fellow of the Centre for Economic Policy Research, London.

Diane Coyle, United Kingdom (2021-2024)

Inaugural Bennett Professor of Public Policy, University of Cambridge

Diane Coyle is the inaugural Bennett Professor of Public Policy at the University of Cambridge. Professor Coyle co-directs the Bennett Institute where she heads research under the themes of progress and productivity, and has been a government adviser on economic policy, including throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Her latest book, Markets, State and People – Economics for Public Policy examines how societies reach decisions about the use and allocation of economic resources. Professor Coyle is also a Director of the Productivity Institute, a Fellow of the Office for National Statistics, an expert adviser to the UK Competition and Markets Authority, and Senior Independent Member of the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). She has served in public service roles including as Vice-Chair of the BBC Trust, and member of the Competition Commission, of the Migration Advisory Committee and of the Natural Capital Committee. Professor Coyle was Professor of Economics at the University of Manchester until March 2018 and was awarded a CBE for her contribution to the public understanding of economics in the 2018 New Year Honours List.

Cristina Duarte, Cabo Verde (2018-2020)

Special Adviser on Africa, United Nations; former Minister of Finance, Planning and Public Administration (2006-2016), Cabo Verde

Cristina Duarte served Cape Verde as Minister of Finance, Planning and Public Administration from 2006 to 2016. Prior to that, she was the Director of a reform programme on private sector development and competitiveness. In the private sector, she rose to become Vice President, Country Corporate Officer and Head of Corporate and Investment Banking of Citibank, Angola. Over her long career, she has developed strong leadership and strategic management skills, played an instrumental role in public policymaking and in the private sector. She was the only female candidate in the 2015 election for the Presidency of the African Development Bank. She used this opportunity to present her vision for Africa’s transformation. She has an abiding interest in issues of governance, private sector development, and particular competence in international negotiations, strategic and scenarios planning, development policy and management, and institution building. Since Mrs. Duarte left Government in 2016, she has been invited to governance and advisory positions in various international and regional organizations. She is a member of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Public Administration, established by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). She is a Member of the Advisory Committee to President Paul Kagame on the Reform of the African Union. She is a Member of the Board of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and she is a Member of the Board of the Institute of African Leadership for Sustainable Development (UONGOZI Institute).

Marcel Fratzscher, Germany (2018-2024)

President of DIW Berlin

Marcel Fratzscher is President of DIW Berlin, a leading, independent economic research institute in Europe, Professor of Macroeconomics and Finance at Humboldt-University of Berlin, and Chair of the German government expert committee on Strengthening investment in Germany. Professor Fratzscher is a member of the advisory board of the German development, non-profit Deutsche Welthungerhilfe and of the supervisory board of the Hertie School of Governance. In addition, he is a member of the advisory board of the foundation Deutschland rundet auf, co-owner and engaged at Kreuzberger Kinderstiftung and member of the advisory board of the Society for German-Chinese Cultural Exchange (GeKA e.V.), Berlin. Professor Fratzscher was the Head of the International Policy Analysis at the European Central Bank (ECB) and held positions at the Peterson Institute for International Economics; at the Ministry of Finance of Indonesia for the Harvard Institute for International Development (HIID); and at the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank and in various parts of Asia and Africa.

Merit E. Janow, United States of America (2018-2020)

Dean Emerita, School of International and Public Affairs; Professor of Practice in International Economic Law and International Affairs, Columbia University

Merit E. Janow is an internationally recognized expert in international trade and investment. She has extensive experience in academia, government and business, with life-long experience in the Asia-Pacific. Janow became Dean of Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) in July 2013. For the past 22 years, she has been a professor at SIPA and Columbia Law School. Presently, she is also codirector of the APEC Study enter and until recently chair of the Faculty Oversight Committee of Columbia’s Global Center East Asia. She has written three books and numerous articles and frequently speaks before business, policy, and academic audiences around the world. In December 2003, Janow was elected as one of the seven members of the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Appellate Body, which is the court of final appeal for adjudicating trade disputes between the 153 member nations of the WTO. From 1997 to 2000, Janow served as executive director of the first antitrust advisory committee to the attorney general and the assistant general for antitrust, U.S. International Department of Justice. Prior to joining Columbia’s faculty, Janow was deputy assistant U.S. trade representative for Japan and China (1989-1993).

Nargis Kassenova, Kazakhstan (2021-2024)

Senior Fellow and Director of the Program on Central Asia at the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies, Harvard University

Nargis Kassenova is Senior Fellow and Director of the Program on Central Asia at the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies, Harvard University, Associate Professor at the Department of International Relations and Regional Studies of KIMEP University, Kazakhstan, and former founder and Director of the Central Asian Studies Center (CASC) and the China and Central Asia Studies Center (CCASC). She holds a PhD in International Cooperation Studies from the Graduate School of International Development, Nagoya University, Japan. Her publications include both academic and policy-relevant research, focusing on Central Asian politics and security, Eurasian geopolitics, China’s Belt and Road Initiative and governance in Central Asia, and the history of state-making in Central Asia. Professor Kassenova is a member of the Advisory Board of the Open Society Foundations (OSF) Eurasia Program, the Advisory Committee of the Human Rights Watch (HRW) Europe and Central Asia Division, the Advisory Group of the EU Central Asia Monitoring (EUCAM) programme, and the Academic Council of the European Neighbourhood Council (ENC). She is on the editorial boards of Central Asian Survey, Central Asian Affairs, and REGION: Regional Studies of Russia, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia journals.

Ricardo Lagos, Chile (2018-2024)

Honorary Chairman of the Inter-American Dialogue; former President of Chile (2000-2006)

Ricardo Lagos is Honorary Chairman of the Interamerican Dialogue, a member of the Global Commission on Drug Policy, co-chair of Foro Iberoamerica and Pro Bono President of Fundación Democracia y Desarrollo. He is also a member of The Elders and of the Club of Madrid. During the 1980s Mr. Lagos played a prominent role in the process to recover democracy in Chile, leading the Democratic Alliance and the Independent Committee for Free Elections. He was the founder and first President of the Party for Democracy (PPD). Between 2000 and 2006, Mr. Lagos was President of the Republic of Chile. Prior to becoming President, Mr. Lagos held the roles of Minister of Education and Minister of Public Works. From 2008 to 2009, Mr. Lagos was President of the Club of Madrid and United Nations Special Envoy for Climate Change.

Justin Yifu Lin, China (2018-2020)

Dean, Institute of New Structural Economics, Professor and Honorary Dean of National School of Development, Peking University

Justin Yifu Lin is Dean of Institute of New Structural Economics and Institute of South-South Cooperation and Development and Professor and Honorary Dean of National School of Development at Peking University. He was the Senior Vice President and Chief Economist of the World Bank, 2008-2012. Prior to this, Mr. Lin served for 15 years as Founding Director and Professor of the China Centre for Economic Research (CCER) at Peking University. He is Councillor of the State Council and a member of the Standing Committee, Chinese People’s Political Consultation Conference. He is the author of more than 20 books including Beating the Odds: Jump-starting Developing Countries; Going Beyond Aid: Development Cooperation for Structural Transformation; The Quest for Prosperity: How Developing Economies Can Take Off; New Structural Economics: A Framework for Rethinking Development and Policy; Against the Consensus: Reflections on the Great Recession; and Demystifying the Chinese Economy. He is a Corresponding Fellow of the British Academy and a Fellow of the Academy of Sciences for Developing World.

Dani Rodrik, Türkiye (2021-2024)

Ford Foundation Professor of International Political Economy, Harvard Kennedy School

Dani Rodrik is Ford Foundation Professor of International Political Economy at the Harvard Kennedy School. He has published widely in the areas of economic development, international economics and political economy. His current research focuses on employment and economic growth, in both developing and advanced economies. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including most recently the Princess of Asturias Award for Social Sciences. Professor Rodrik is currently President-Elect of the International Economic Association and co-director of the Economics for Inclusive Prosperity network.

Jeffrey D. Sachs, United States of America (2018-2024)

University Professor and Director, Center for Sustainable Development in the Earth Institute, Columbia University

Jeffrey D. Sachs is a world-renowned Professor of Economics, leader in sustainable development. He was appointed University Professor at Columbia University in 2016, where he served as Quetelet Professor of Sustainable Development and Professor of Health Policy and Management. He is a Special Advisor to United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on the Sustainable Development Goals, and previously advised both former Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the Sustainable Development Goals and Millennium Development Goals and former Secretary-General Kofi Annan on the Millennium Development Goals. He is a Distinguished Fellow of the International Institute of Applied Systems Analysis in Laxenburg, Austria. Professor Sachs is Director of both the Center for Sustainable Development, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network set up under the auspices of the then Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Prior to joining Columbia University, Professor Sachs spent over twenty years as a professor at Harvard University, most recently as the Galen L. Stone Professor of International Trade.

Heizo Takenaka, Japan (2018-2024)

Professor Emeritus, Keio University; Professor, Toyo University

Heizo Takenaka is a professor emeritus at Keio University and a professor at Toyo University in Japan. His academic roles include: Senior Economist, Institute of Fiscal and Monetary Policy, Japanese Ministry of Finance; Associate Professor, Faculty of Economics, Osaka University; Visiting Associate Professor, Harvard University; Visiting Fellow, Institute of International Economics; and Associate Professor and Professor, Faculty of Policy Management, Keio University. Professor Takenaka was named a member of the Economic Strategy Council (advisory board for economic policy to the Prime Minister) in 1998 and a member of the IT Strategy Council (advisory board on IT policy to the Prime Minister) in 2000. In 2001, he was named the Minister for Economic/Fiscal Policy. In 2002, Professor Takenaka was named the Minister for both Financial Services and Economic/Fiscal Policy. In 2004, he was elected to the House of Councilors and was named the Minister for both Economic/Fiscal Policy and Privatization of the Postal Services. In 2005, he was named the Minister for both Internal Affairs and Communication, and Privatization of the Postal Services. The following year, Professor Takenaka returned to academia.

Ernesto Zedillo, Mexico (2018-2024)

Director of the Yale Center for the Study of Globalization; former President of Mexico (1994-2000)

Ernesto Zedillo is the Director of the Yale Center for the Study of Globalization; Professor in the Field of International Economics and Politics; Professor of International and Area Studies; and Professor Adjunct of Forestry and Environmental Studies at Yale University. After almost a decade with the Central Bank of Mexico he served as Undersecretary of the Budget, Secretary of Economic Programming and the Budget, and Secretary of Education before serving as President of Mexico from 1994–2000. Professor Zedillo is Chairman of the Board of the Natural Resource Governance Institute and the Rockefeller Foundation Economic Council on Planetary Health and co-chair of the Inter-American Dialogue. He serves on the Global Commission on Drug Policy, the High-Level Board of Experts on the Future of Global Trade Governance and on the Selection Committee of the Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity. From 2010 to 2012 he served as Vice-Chair of the Global Commission on Elections, Democracy and Security, chaired by Kofi Annan; from 2005 to 2011, as Chair of the Global Development Network; and from 2008 to 2010 as Chair of the High-Level Commission on Modernization of World Bank Group Governance. Professor Zedillo is a member of the Group of 30, a consultative group on international economic and monetary affairs and of The Elders. In 2011 he was elected an international member of the American Philosophical Society.

Min Zhu, China (2018-2024)

Chairman, National Institute of Financial Research, Tsinghua University

Min Zhu is Chairman of the National Institute of Financial Research at Tsinghua University and a member of the Board of Trustees at the World Economic Forum. Dr. Zhu is a former Deputy Managing Director at IMF. Before that, he was a Deputy Governor of the People’s Bank of China, and prior to his service at China’s Central Bank, Dr. Zhu served as a Group Executive Vice President of the Bank of China. Dr. Zhu also worked at the World Bank and taught Economics at both Johns Hopkins University and Fudan University. Dr. Zhu received his PhD and MA in Economics from Johns Hopkins University, an MPA from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public International Affairs at Princeton University, and a BA. in Economics from Fudan University. Dr. Zhu was awarded China Economic Leader in 2014, Global Influential Chinese in 2015, and CFV-10-year Global Financial Leader in 2016.