The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) appointed Costa Rican economist José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs as its new executive secretary, replacing Mexican diplomat Alicia Bárcena, who in March ended a 14-year term.
In a statement, UN Secretary-General António Guterres announced the appointment of Salazar-Xirinachs, former regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean of the International Labor Organization (2015 and 2018) and former Costa Rican Minister of Foreign Trade (1997-1998).
“An enthusiast for public policy and economic development, Salazar brings to the position a deep knowledge of development and a lifelong interest and passion for the analysis, design, implementation and evaluation of policies to promote economic, social and political development,” said Guterres.
ECLAC is a technical agency of the United Nations based in Santiago.
In the academic field, the statement noted that Salazar-Xirinachs “is the author of numerous articles and books on development, trade, economic integration, competitiveness and employment. He has taught at the University of Costa Rica, the National University of Heredia, Cambridge University and Georgetown University”.
He holds an M.A. in Development Economics, a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Cambridge and a B.A. in Economics from the University of Costa Rica.
