Biographical Note

NEW PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF PORTUGAL PRESENTS CREDENTIALS

(Based on information received from the Protocol and Liaison Service.)

Goncalo Aires de Santa Clara Gomes, the new Permanent Representative of Portugal to the United Nations, presented his credentials to Secretary-General Kofi Annan today.

From 1999 until his appointment, he was Portugal's Ambassador to The Hague for three years.  Before that, he was his country's Ambassador to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva from 1995 to 1999 and to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg from 1990 to 1995.

Mr. Santa Clara Gomes began serving in his country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1964.  From 1988 to 1990, he was the Ministry's Deputy Director-General for Political and Economic Affairs.  From 1983 to 1988, he was Minister-Counsellor in the Portuguese Embassy in Madrid and headed the Foreign Ministry's Europe/Americas Department from 1980 to 1983.  He was Counsellor at the Portuguese Embassy in Pretoria from 1978 to 1980.

From 1976 to 1978, Mr. Santa Clara Gomes was Portugal’s Representative to the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization in Rome.  Also in Rome, he was a Counsellor of his country's Embassy from 1974 to 1976 and was with the NATO Defence College from 1972 to 1974.  In his early career, he served in his country’s Embassies in Managua and Caracas.

Mr. Santa Clara Gomes studied law at the University of Lisbon.  He is married and has three children.

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