RAMON ESCOVAR SALOM OF VENEZUELA ELECTED CHAIRMAN OF SIXTH COMMITTEE
Biographical Note
RAMON ESCOVAR SALOM OF VENEZUELA ELECTED CHAIRMAN OF SIXTH COMMITTEE
Ramon Escovar Salom, the new Permanent Representative of Venezuela to the United Nations, was elected today Chairman of the Sixth Committee (Legal).
Prior to his current appointment, Mr. Escovar Salom held the post of Minister of the Interior, from 1994. During that period, he acted as President of Venezuela on five occasions during 1994 and 1995. He held the post of Attorney General from 1989 to 1994. Prior to that, he served as his country's Ambassador to France, from 1986 to 1989.
Mr. Escovar Salom began his long and distinguished career in 1948, at age 21, when he was elected to the Venezuelan Legislative Assembly of the Venezuelan State of Lara. In the same year, he was elected Deputy for that State in the National Congress. Elected to the National Congress on four subsequent occasions during the 1960s and 1970s, Mr. Escovar Salom served as Senator for the Federal District of Caracas (1959-1964); Deputy for the Caracas Federal District (1964-1969); and Deputy for the State of Lara for two subsequent terms (1969-1974) and (1974-1979).
During those years, Mr. Escovar Salom held a number of ministerial posts. His portfolio included: Minister of Justice (1964-1966); Minister of the Secretariat of the Venezuelan Presidency (1974-1975); and Minister for Foreign Affairs (1975-1977).
Concurrently with his parliamentary career and ministerial portfolio, Mr. Escovar Salom maintained close links with academia for over two-and-a-half decades, in the period spanning from 1958 to 1983. He held several academic posts at the Central University of Venezuela, including Director of the Law School (1958-1959); Professor, Chair of the History of Political Ideas in the School of Social Communication, Faculty of the Humanities and Education (1959-1962); and Professor, Chair of Constitutional Law, Faculty of Law (1947-1977). From 1979 to 1981, he was a fellow, and subsequently, visiting scholar at the Center for International Affairs at Harvard University. He was appointed Simon Bolivar Professor at Cambridge University from 1982 to 1983. He has also been a member of the Academy of Political and Social Sciences of Venezuela.
Mr. Escovar Salom has published widely on political and juridical matters, among others, including two publications which were awarded prizes in Venezuela in 1971 (El Amparo en Venezuela) and in Mexico in 1972 (America Latina: El Juego Sin Fronteras). He has also been a columnist for El Nacional newspaper for over 40 years and received awards in 1981 and 1991 for articles published in those years. Since 1980, his articles have also been published in various journals in Latin America, Spain, Europe and the United States.
In recognition of his contribution to Venezuelan national life, Mr. Escovar Salom has been decorated with 39 national awards, including the Order of the Liberator, the Order of Francisco de Miranda and the Order of Andres Bello. In addition, he has also been awarded numerous foreign decorations in Latin America, Europe and the Middle East.
Mr. Escovar Salom holds a law degree and a doctorate in political science from the Central University of Venezuela.
Born in Barquisimeto, Venezuela, in 1926, Mr. Escovar Salom is married and has four children.
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* This press release supersedes Press Release BIO/3030 of 4 September 1996.