It should be unnecessary to emphasize the far-reaching importance that the United Nations holds for Costa Rica. This relies neither on specific political circumstances nor on particular historical junctures, although it does, for obvious reasons, depend on the decisions made by successive governments based on the country’s general foreign policy vision.

Equally important is the professional profile of those who have held the position of Permanent Representative (with the rank of Ambassador) to the Organization and its various specialized entities—such as the FAO for agriculture and food, or UNESCO in matters of education and culture.

In a general sense, multilateral organizations like the United Nations are, alongside a few key bilateral embassies, our country’s first line of defense for national security. Lacking armed forces, vast stockpiles of strategic materials, a privileged geographical location (such as the Strait of Hormuz), or control over a strategic resource like the Panama Canal, Costa Rica has always depended on International Law and its moral ascendancy to defend its interests and sovereignty.

“Costa Rica’s greatness before the world has been anchored in ideas, political consistency, and the refined diplomatic leadership of prominent figures from all parties and ideologies.”

This greatness has been demonstrated abundantly and with brilliance in multilateral forums, particularly at the United Nations in New York and Geneva, where the leadership and decisive management of our diplomats have been equally outstanding.

To put it briefly: this refined diplomatic leadership has been upheld by outstanding figures of all political parties and ideologies. These individuals also served, either before or after their tenure at the UN, as Presidents of the Republic, lawmakers, presidents of the Legislative Assembly, foreign ministers, magistrates of the Supreme Court of Justice, and brilliant legal scholars and journalists.

A Constellation of Diplomatic Leaders

Our history is defined by remarkable names: Fernando Soto Harrison, Alberto Cañas Escalante, Benjamín Núñez, Mario Echandi Jiménez (concurrent), Fernando Volio, Fernando Salazar Navarrete, Rodolfo Piza Escalante, Carlos José Gutiérrez, Cristian Tattenbach, José Luis Molina Quesada, and Fernando Lara Bustamante.

In recent decades, this legacy was carried forward by Bernd Niehaus, Fernando Zumbado, Fernando Berrocal, Jorge Urbina, Bruno Stagno, Eduardo Ulibarri, Juan Carlos Mendoza, and Rodrigo Alberto Carazo. Notably, during the Rodrigo Chaves administration, career diplomat Maritza Chan became the first woman to hold the position as titular head.

Equally recognized are the alternate representatives and international relations professionals who built this framework, including Emilia Castro, Raúl Trejos, Luis Varela, María Elena Chassoul, Nazareth Avendaño, and Melvin Sáenz Biolley. This extraordinary constellation of figures is further highlighted today as Costa Rica presents Rebeca Grynspan as a candidate for UN Secretary-General, following her prominent leadership in several high-ranking positions within the entity.

Historic Contributions to Global Governance

These names are indelibly associated with landmark international initiatives:

• Human Rights & Peace: The creation of the University for Peace, the establishment of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the promotion of the Convention against Torture.
• Sustainability & Climate: The co-proposals and negotiations alongside Colombia for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs approved in 2015), and the successful management of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change (COP 21, 2015) under the leadership of Christiana Figueres.
• Disarmament: The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, driven closely by Elayne White in Geneva.

Furthermore, Costa Rica has shaped global frameworks such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the Law of the Sea. These contributions match our highly successful legal defenses of territorial sovereignty and maritime rights before the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

A Shift in the Horizon

Recently, the President of the Republic informed the country and the world that Costa Rica will no longer support efforts to adopt Agenda 2030—a framework she herself had previously defended during her time as a minister. Furthermore, guidelines have been issued for our New York diplomatic headquarters to shift focus toward tourism promotion and energy negotiations, leveraging the specific expertise of the newly appointed permanent representative.

One can sincerely hope that in the coming years, these new directives will yield objectives elevated enough to be added to our historic roster of global achievements. For the sustainable future and well-being of Costa Rica, we could augur nothing less.

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