Biographical Note

Secretary-General Appoints Heraldo Muñozof Chile Director of Regional

Bureau for Latin America, United Nations Development Programme

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has announced today the appointment of Heraldo Muñoz of Chile as Assistant Secretary-General and Assistant Administrator and Director of the Regional Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).  Mr. Muñoz will replace Rebeca Grynspan, who has been appointed as United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Associate Administrator of UNDP.

Since 2003, Mr. Muñoz has served as the Permanent Representative of Chile to the United Nations.  He was also the Chairman of the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission.  Mr. Muñoz has performed a number of other important functions within the United Nations, including as Facilitator of the Security Council reform consultations (2007-2008), Vice-President of the General Assembly’s sixty-first session (2006-2007), and President of the Security Council (2004).

Prior to his appointment as Permanent Representative of Chile to the United Nations, Mr. Muñoz served in a number of positions with the Chilean Government, including Minister Secretary General of Government (2002-2003) in the cabinet of President Ricardo Lagos, Deputy Foreign Minister (2000-2002), Ambassador of Chile to Brazil (1994-1998) and Ambassador of Chile to the Organization of American States (1990-1994).

Mr. Muñoz has written and edited well over a dozen books on Inter-American relations and security, Latin American foreign relations, democracy and human rights, multilateral affairs, development issues and international political economy.

Born in 1948, Mr. Muñoz holds a Doctor of Philosophy in international studies from the Graduate School of International Studies, University of Denver.  He also holds a Diploma in international relations from the Catholic University of Chile, and a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the State University of New York at Oswego.  He is fluent in Spanish, English, Portuguese and French.

He is married and has one daughter.

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*     This supersedes Press Release BIO/3503 of 18 June 2003.

For information media • not an official record