Biographical Note

New Permanent Representative of El Salvador Presents Credentials

 

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

Carmen María Gallardo Hernández, the new Permanent Representative of El Salvador, today presented her credentials to Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

Prior to her appointment, Ms. Hernández was the Coordinator for International Cooperation for her country’s Supreme Court of Justice, a post she held since September 2002.  From 1995 to 1996, she served as the Executive Director of the Foundation for Peace (FUNDAPAZ). 

Ms. Hernández’s also served as her country’s Ambassador to France and Portugal in 1994.  In 1992 and 1993, she was El Salvador’s permanent delegate to United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Paris. 

In addition to a career in diplomatic service, Ms. Hernández was a columnist for two publications, namely El Diario de Hoy, from 1999 to 2002, and La Prensa Grafica, from 1994 to 1997.  Also a licensed translator, Ms. Hernández, who speaks English, French, Italian and Spanish, participated as parliamentary interpreter in various United Nations conferences from 1973 to 1987, including the First World Conference on Women in 1975 and the World Conference on Human Rights in 1993.  Ms. Hernández served as interpreter to Mexico’s President from 1975 to 1979.

In 1997, Ms. Hernández was named professional of the year by the El Salvador Bar Association.

Ambassador Hernández studied at the University of Geneva in Switzerland, where she received a master’s degree in parliamentary and conference interpretation with a specialization in international organizations.  In 1989, she earned a licence in clinical psychology from the Ibero-AmericanUniversity in Mexico City.  In 1998, Ambassador Hernández received a “Doctor Honoris Causa” in international relations from El Salvador’s TechnologicalUniversity. 

Born on 28 November 1949 in San Salvador, Ambassador Hernández is married with two children.

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