NEW PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF BRAZIL PRESENTS CREDENTIALS
TO DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF UNOG

Maria Nazareth Farani Azevedo, the new Permanent Representative of Brazil to the United Nations Office at Geneva, today presented her credentials to Sergei Ordzhonikidze, the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva.

Prior to her appointment to Geneva, Ms. Farani Azevedo had been serving as Minister of the State Cabinet of Brazil, Head Office, since 2005. In 2004, she was the Head of Brazil's delegation to the meetings of the Technical Group Brazil-Chile-Spain-France which dealt with innovative funding sources to the combat of hunger and poverty. In 2003, she served as Minister of the State Cabinet, Advisor.

A career diplomat, Ms. Farani Azevedo was the Head of Brazil's delegation to the Brazil-United States bilateral negotiations on iron and the Brazil-European Union negotiating meeting on the Bilateral Agreement on Textiles in 2002. In 2001 and 2002, she was Head of Brazil's delegation to the NAFTA negotiating meeting on market access. Throughout her career, she has represented Brazil in other negotiations. When she joined the diplomatic corps, she served in the trade information division and trade promotion and operations division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil from 1982 to 1988.

Ms. Farani Azevedo served at Brazil's Permanent Mission in Geneva in 1997 when she represented her country at the World Trade Organization Trade and Environment Commission and was Chief Negotiator on environmental subjects at the United Nations. Other foreign posts include serving in Brazil's Permanent Mission to the Latin American Association for Integration in Montevideo, Uruguay from 1991 to 1995; and the Brazilian Embassy in Washington from 1988 to1991.

She has received a number of decorations, including the Order of Rio Branco, Brazil, Grand Officer in 2005; Order of Military Merit, Grand Master in 2003; Order of merit, Brail, Tarnandaré Medal of Merit in 1997; Order of Aeronautical Merit, Brazil, Medal in 1996; and Order of Merit, Brazil, Santos Dumont Medal of Merit in 1989.

Ms. Farani Azevedo was born on 15 August 1957 in Alegre, Espinito Santo in Brazil. In 1981, she attended a preparation course for the diplomatic career at the Rio Branco Institute; in 1989, she attended a course of improvement for diplomats at the Institute; and in 2001 she attended a High Studies Course at the same institute.



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