Encomium
ThePresident of the 73rd Session of the UN General Assembly, H.E. María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, will on Monday, 6 May 2019, begins an official visit to Nigeria. The visit which is on the invitation of the Government of Nigeria, is aimed at strengtheningbilateralrelations between Nigeria and the United Nations.
H.E. María Fernanda Espinosa Garcéswill be received on arrival at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja, by a representative of the government of Nigeria and the Resident Coordinator of the UN in Nigeria, Mr Edward Kallon.
During her mission, she will discuss the priorities of the General Assembly as related to women and youth empowerment;raise awareness and encourage understanding of the importance of multilateralism and the UN; as well as raise further international awareness on the Lake Chad Basin and efforts of Nigeria to promote sustainable development, peace and security in the region; among others.
While in Nigeria, the President of the UN General Assembly will have bilateral meetings with H.E. Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeriaand Mr Geoffrey Onyeama, the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs. She will also engage with Students and Youth on the theme: “Responding to Global Challenges in a fast-Changing World: The Case for Strengthening Multilateralism”; as well as discuss with a women audience on the theme: “The Role of Women in the Promotion of Multilateralism”.
Ms María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés is scheduled to also meet with the Honourable Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, H. E. Aisha Abubakar.
This is the second official visit of the President of the 73rd Session of the UN General Assembly to the African region since taking over the presidency.
On 5 June 2018, the United Nations General Assembly elected Ecuadorean Foreign Minister María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, as President of its 73rd session; only the fourth woman to hold that position in the history of the world body, and the first since 2006.
She has more than 20 years of multilateral experience in international negotiations, peace, security, defence, disarmament, human rights, indigenous peoples, gender equality, sustainable development, environment, biodiversity, climate change and multilateral cooperation. She has served Ecuador as Minister of Foreign Affairs (twice), Minister of National Defence, and Coordinating Minister of Natural and Cultural Heritage. In 2008, she was the first woman to become Permanent Representative of Ecuador to the United Nations in New York.
Before beginning her political and diplomatic career, Ms. Espinosa Garcés was Associate Professor and Researcher at the FacultadLatinoamericana de CienciasSocialesSede Ecuador. Ms. Espinosa Garcés has written over 30 academic articles about the Amazon region, culture, heritage, sustainable development, climate change, intellectual property, foreign policy, regional integration, defence and security. She has studies from Rutgers University.
