Biographical Note

New Permanent Representative of Cape Verde Presents Credentials

 

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

Maria de Fatima Lima Da Veiga, the new Permanent Representative of Cape Verde to the United Nations, presented her credentials today to Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

Before her current appointment, she served from October 2002 to April 2004 as Minister for Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and Communities of Cape Verde.  She also served previously as Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs from 2001 to 2002 and Ambassador of Cape Verde for Cuba from 1999 to 2001.  From 1995 to 1999, Ms. Lima Da Veiga was Director Cabinet of the Minister for Foreign Affairs.  Prior to that, she served in a number of progressively responsible positions after joining the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1980.

Born in Sao Vicente, Cape Verde, on 22 June 1957, Ms. Lima Da Veiga undertook high studies in Anglo-American civilization and language at the Universite d’Aix-ex-Provence, France.  She received post-university training in development and diplomacy at the German Foundation, Berlin, and participated in training on diplomatic advancement organized in Praia by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cape Verde in cooperation with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and the Rio Branco Institute of Brazil.  She has also taken part in seminars on diplomacy and personnel management.

Ms. Lima Da Veiga is a member of Cape Verde’s National Commission of the Interstate Committee for the Fight Against Drought in the Sahel; officer-in-charge for the elaboration of technical studies relating to Cape Verde’s external politics and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and a member of the jury of the competition for the promotion of diplomatic and technical personnel of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

She has served as a member of Cape Verde’s delegation to many international meetings and as representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on several joint commissions and inter-governmental meetings on cooperation.  Ms. Lima Da Veiga speaks Portuguese, English, French and Spanish.

The new Permanent Representative of Cape Verde is married and has two children.

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