Biographical Note

Secretary-General Appoints Rebeca Grynspan of Costa Rica as Associate

Administrator of United Nations Development Programme

 

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has announced today the appointment of Rebeca Grynspan of Costa Rica as Under-Secretary-General and Associate Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).  Ms. Grynspan will replace Ad Melkert, who has been appointed the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Iraq.

Since March 2006, Ms. Grynspan has served as the Assistant Administrator and Regional Director of UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean, where she has been a strong advocate for the Millennium Development Goals, for system-wide coherence and an organization more responsive to the needs of developing countries.

In addition to her experience as an adviser, lecturer and author, Ms. Grynspan has been actively involved in key United Nations initiatives such as the Millennium Project’s Task Force on Poverty and Economic Development and on the High-Level Panel on Financing for Development.

Prior to her service with UNDP, she worked within the United Nations system as the Director of the subregional headquarters in Mexico of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) from 2001 to 2006.  Before joining the United Nations system, Ms. Grynspan served in several ministerial level positions with her Government (1986-1994), before becoming Vice-President of the Republic of Costa Rica (1994-1998).

As Associate Administrator, she will assist the Administrator in overseeing UNDP programmes, as well as fulfilling other leadership responsibilities in the organization.  UNDP focuses on helping developing countries build capacity in the areas of democratic governance, conflict prevention and recovery, poverty reduction, energy and environment, and HIV/AIDS.  In all of its work, UNDP seeks to promote human rights and the empowerment of women.

Born in 1955, Ms. Grynspan holds a master’s degree in economics from the University of Sussex, United Kingdom.

She is married and has a daughter and a son.

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For information media • not an official record