SECRETARY-GENERAL APPOINTS ANTONIO MARIA COSTA DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF UN OFFICE AT VIENNA, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF DRUG CONTROL AND CRIME PREVENTION OFFICE

Biographical Note

SECRETARY-GENERAL APPOINTS ANTONIO MARIA COSTA DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF UN OFFICE

AT VIENNA, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF DRUG CONTROL AND CRIME PREVENTION OFFICE

Mr. Costa Is Currently Secretary-General

Of European Bank for Reconstruction and Development

The Secretary-General announced today the appointment of Antonio Maria Costa (Italy) as the new Director-General of the United Nations Office at Vienna and Executive Director of the United Nations Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention.  Mr. Costa is currently serving as the Secretary-General of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in London.

Mr. Costa was born on 16 June 1941 in Mondovi, Italy.  He holds a degree in political science from the University of Turin, and a Ph.D in economics from the University of California at Berkeley.  He served as visiting Professor in various universities in Europe and the United States.

Earlier in his career, Mr. Costa served as an economist in the United Nations Department of International Economics and Social Affairs between 1969 and 1983, and eventually became Head of Unit.  He was subsequently appointed Under-Secretary-General (Special Counsellor) at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris where he served until 1987.  He was a member of the OECD Working Group for the liberalization of capital flows and the control of financial transactions, as well as Alternate Member of the International Monetary Fund (IMF)/World Bank Interim Committee and of the G-10 Group for the coordination of economic policy, public governance and international monetary affairs.

Between 1987 and 1992, he served in various capacities at the Commission of the European Union, rising to the post of Director-General for Economics and Finance.  In his current capacity as Secretary-General of EBRD, Mr. Costa oversees political issues, institutional affairs, corporate governance and questions relating to shareholders.

Mr. Costa is married with three children.

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