Biographical Note

NEW PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF CHILE PRESENTS CREDENTIALS

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

Heraldo Munoz, the new Permanent Representative of Chile to the United Nations, presented his credentials to Secretary-General Kofi Annan today.

Prior to his current appointment, Mr. Munoz was his country’s Minister Secretary-General of the Government between January 2002 and March 2003 and served as Deputy Foreign Minister between March 2000 and January 2002.  From 1994 to 1998, he was the Ambassador of Chile to Brazil, and during the period 1990 to 1994, he served as Ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS), where he also presided over the Environment Commission (1991-1992) and the Permanent Council of the OAS (1993). 

A diplomat, a politician, and a scholar, Mr. Munoz began his career as a National Supervisor of the People’s Stores under the Salvador Allende Government and served in that position until the coup d’etat in September 1973.  Later, he became a co-founder of the Party for Democracy (PPD), where he was a member of the Political Commission and Chairman of the Metropolitan Santiago Region (1988 to 1990). 

He also served as Secretary of International Relations of the Socialist Party of Chile from 1983 to 1985.  For the plebiscite that defeated General Pinochet in 1988, he was a joint representative of the Socialist Party and the PPD in the Executive Committee of the “NO campaign”.  He also participated in the drafting of the country’s foreign policy programme under several Presidents. 

In the academic field, Mr. Munoz has been a Professor at the Institute of International Studies of the University of Chile since 1974.  From 1983 to 1990, he was Director of the foreign policy institute “Programe de Seguimiento de las Politicas Exteriores Latinoamericanas” in Santiago, which he founded.  During 1998 and 1999, he was President of The Economist Conferences (Chile) and Latinalyst Consultants.  He has been a visiting professor and lecturer at several universities and diplomatic academies in the United States, Europe and Latin America and he is an author of numerous publications, including over 20 books.

Mr. Munoz holds a PhD in International Studies from the University of Denver, Colorado (1978) and a diploma, with honours, in international relations from the Catholic University of Chile (1975), as well as a BA in Political Science from the State University of New York, Oswego.  He is a recipient of the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Graduate School of International Studies at the University of Denver and has been bestowed with the title of Doctor Honoris Causa from the State University of New York.  He has also received fellowships from several foundations and funds.  

Born in Santiago, Chile, on 22 July 1948, he is married and has one daughter.

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