NEW PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF EL SALVADOR PRESENTS CREDENTIALS TO DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF UNOG

Victoria Marina Velásquez de Avilés, the new Permanent Representative of El Salvador to the United Nations Office at Geneva, today presented her credentials to Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva.

Prior to her appointment in Geneva Ms. Velásquez de Avilés was the Minister of Labour and Social Welfare from June 2009 to June 2011. She had also been the Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Welfare from 1979 to 1980. Between 2003 and 2009 she was the First Judge of the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court, and served in the Civil Chamber of the Supreme Court from 2000 to 2003, where she held the post of President from 2002 onwards.

A career magistrate, Ms. Velásquez de Avilés was notably the Prosecutor for the Protection of Human Rights in her country from 1995 to 1998, and also served as Deputy Prosecutor of the Rights of the Child from 1992 to 1995. She has also worked in the field of labour law.

Mrs. Velásquez de Avilés was the National Councillor of the United Nations Fund for Children (UNICEF) in 1999 and National Councillor for Radda Barnen (Save the Children Sweden) from 1998 to 1999.

Holding a Doctorate in Jurisprudence and Social Sciences from the University of El Salvador, Ms. Velásquez de Avilés also gained a BA Degree in Political Science from the University Nueva Without Salvador. She is married.


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CR12/039E