Ms. Espinosa is an Ecuadorian academic, diplomat, politician, poet, and linguist with advanced studies in social sciences, anthropology, geography, and Amazonian studies. With over 30 years of professional experience in academia, nongovernmental organizations, international organizations, and high-level government positions, she has accumulated vast knowledge in public policy, international relations, peace and security, sustainable development, environmental issues, climate change, gender equality, and the rights of indigenous peoples. She is also regarded as an expert in foreign policy, international politics, the United Nations, and global governance.
President of the 73rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly (2018-2019)
Maria Fernanda Espinosa is the fourth woman and the first from Latin America and the Caribbean to preside over this body since its inception in 1945. She was elected with the support of two-thirds of its membership. While in government, she gained international recognition as a global advocate for enhanced global governance, multilateralism, health diplomacy, and the climate crisis.
Her presidency was exercised under the motto “Making the United Nations relevant to all people”, as the axis of her strategy to contribute to the strengthening of multilateralism, endowing its most important expression, the United Nations, with greater legitimacy before global citizens.
She prioritized the agenda on youth, peace, and security, and chaired the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Peasants in November 2018, the Global Compact on Refugees, and the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration in December 2018. In February 2019, she launched the International Year of Indigenous Languages.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Trade, and Integration of Ecuador (2007-2008 and 2017-2018)
During her two terms as foreign minister, she led international negotiations on climate change and the environment, as well as political and economic bilateral and multilateral agreements. She managed peace and security portfolios with neighboring countries and, in 2017, served as a mediator in the peace dialogues between the Colombian government and the ELN armed group.
She was also responsible for foreign investment, trade policies, and the international promotion of Ecuador, chairing the government cabinet for external affairs. This cabinet encompassed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, Tourism, Environment, and Culture and Heritage. Espinosa led this sector, establishing policies to reinforce the country’s strategy plan on external affairs, security, environment, trade, and investment.
As Minister of National Defense (2012-2014), she was responsible for the Armed Forces’ efforts to combat organized crime and coordinate emergencies. She implemented substantial reforms in social security, education, gender equality, and health policy for all three branches of the armed forces: the Army, Navy, and Air Force. Under her leadership, the Armed Forces underwent restructuring and modernization to adapt to the region’s geopolitical context and new risks and threats to national security, such as cybersecurity, drug trafficking, organized transnational crime, and natural disasters.
Affiliations
- Member and Executive Director of Global Women Leaders for Change and Inclusion, GWLvoices.
- Member of the Board of Trustees of the International Crisis Group.
- Member of the High-Level Advisory Council for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC).
- Member of the United Nations Advisory Board on Human Security.
- Commissioner to the Global Commission on the Economics of Water.
- Co-Chair of the Coalition for the UN We Need.
- Co-Chair of the Debt Relief for a Green and Inclusive Recovery.
- Member of the Board of Trustees of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center.
- Member of the Advisory Board for the World Humanitarian Forum.
- Member of the Political Advisory Panel of the Universal Health Coverage 2030 Movement, UHC2030.
- Member of the Strategic Committee of the SDSN Science Panel for the Amazon (SPA).
- Member of the Board of Directors and Patrons at the World Sustainability Forum.
- UBUNTU Advisor for United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG).
- Councilor of the World Future Council.
- Founding Member of the Centre for UN Studies at the University of Buckingham.
- Member of the Multi-Stakeholder Steering Committee of the Generation Equality Forum and the Beijing + 25.
- Member of the Sounding Board for the RISE Cities Program of the BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt.
- Advisory Member to the Club de Madrid’s Advisory Committee.
- Advisory Member of the President’s Advisory Council of the Club G100.
- Co-chair of the Global Commission on Climate Governance.
- Member of the Advisory Council of Latin America from PRISA.
- Member of the World Academy of Arts and Science.
In 2020 and 2021, she was a fellow at the Bosch Academy in Berlin, where she focused on UN Reform and Multilateralism. She currently serves as Goodwill Ambassador for the Latin American and Caribbean Fund for the Development of the Indigenous Peoples (FILAC) and for the Common Home of Humanity.
In 2023, she was a Member of the COP28 Advisory Committee and Chair of the Board of Women in Global Health.
Awards and Honors
- The “5th Sun Award” from FILAC for her “outstanding contribution to advance the agenda of the rights of Indigenous Peoples”, October 2021.
- The Brian Urquart Award from the UN Association of the United Kingdom, for Distinguished Service to the UN, October 2021.
- Awarded with the 2020 Sundance Film Festival Women’s Leadership Celebration. The 7th annual event, hosted by Zions Bank, January 2020.
- The 2019 Rehabilitation International Award for Outstanding Achievements in Innovation “for her Innovative work in advancing the rights of persons with disabilities globally”.
- Declared by the BBC as one of the 100 inspiring and influential women from around the world for 2019.
- The Atahualpa Medal for Merit, Gran Cruz (Grand Cross) class, September 24, 2014; delivered by the Armed Forces of Ecuador for her contribution to their modernization process.
- The Honor of the Orden “El Sol del Perú” (The Order of the Sun of Peru), Gran Cruz (Grand Cross) class, February 23, 2007; awarded by the Government of Peru, as an acknowledgment for extraordinary willingness to strengthen bilateral ties (i.e., one of the two decorations that the Peruvian State grants to its citizens and prominent foreigners in fields such as the arts, the humanities, culture and politics that was established in 1821 and it is the oldest decoration in the Americas).
- IUCN-Ford Foundation “Democratizing Science Grant”, February 2001.
- Grant for Senior Scholars, Latin American Studies Association (LASA) Conference, March 2000.
- Society of Women Geographers, Annual Fellowship, 1999-2000.
- Rockefeller Foundation Fellowship: Center for Critical Analysis of Contemporary Culture. RUTGERS University, Fall 1996 – Spring 1997.
- Ford Foundation-LASPAU Fellowship: “Ford-Amazon Fund”, Fall 1994 – Fall 1996 for doctoral studies.
- Ford Foundation, FLACSO, 1991 – 1993 for Post Graduate studies.
- Research Grant from GTZ: German Technical Cooperation Agency for Doctoral Dissertation field work, Summer 1997.
- Research Grant to fund her master’s thesis research from Fundación Natura Quito, Ecuador, 1993.
- National Poetry Prize, Quito, Ecuador, 1990.
