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Laura Chinchilla, the first female president of Costa Rica, brings to Concordia a vast background from the public and international sectors. Before being elected president (2010-2014), she simultaneously served as Vice President and Minister of Justice, was a member of Congress, and ran the Ministry of Public Security. She has previously worked as a consultant in Latin America and Africa with various international organizations focused on institutional reform, with particular emphasis on judicial and public security. As former President, she is active in addressing global agenda issues through various forums, such as the Club de Madrid and the Inter-American Dialogue.

As a strong advocate for Latin America and global justice, Chinchilla proves that partnerships have a place at the table in tackling international issues. Through her presidential legacy, she has shown the importance of establishing long-term solutions for conflict, especially in Latin American countries. She brings key insight and experience that will enrich dialogues around the success and development of the region on a global scale, adding value to our programming.

“It will be an honor for me to be part of this very distinguished group of persons, strongly committed to supporting democracy, prosperity and sustainable development at the global level. I envision this as an exceptional opportunity to give back to our societies the expertise and knowledge resulting from many years of fruitful experience in public and international affairs […], and sharing policy initiatives with highly qualified and experienced people,” said Chinchilla on becoming the newest member of the Concordia Leadership Council.

Her contribution to the 2016 Concordia Annual Summit in New York was of unmatched value, where she participated in a Strategic Dialogue focused on Corruption and Governance in Latin America. Chinchilla highlighted the importance of active citizenship in the battle against corruption as central to conquering and redefining democracy. The former President’s efforts in promoting democratic governance go hand-in-hand with Concordia’s Programming Pipeline on Good Governance & Democracy, the objective of which is to address the risk of environments conducive to corruption, impediments to accountable governments, and vested private sector interests in transparency.

“It is imperative to look to Laura Chinchilla’s leadership for the future success of Latin America and the role of the region in improving both economic and social programs all over the world,” commented Concordia Co-Founders Matthew Swift and Nicholas Logothetis. “We look forward to enriching our Leadership Council with admirable women like President Chinchilla who have such trajectory.”