Luis Almagro
| Luis Almagro | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 10th Secretary General of the Organization of American States | |
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Assumed office May 26, 2015 |
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| Preceded by | José Miguel Insulza |
| Foreign Minister of Uruguay | |
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In office March 1, 2010 – February 28, 2015 |
|
| President | José Mujica |
| Preceded by | Pedro Vaz |
| Succeeded by | Rodolfo Nin Novoa |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
June 1, 1963 Paysandú, Uruguay |
| Alma mater | University of the Republic |
Luis Almagro (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈlwis alˈmaɣɾo]; born June 1, 1963) is a Uruguayan lawyer, diplomat, and politician, currently serving as the 10th Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS).
Almagro served as Minister of Foreign Affairs between 2010 and 2015, during the Presidency of José "Pepe" Mujica.
Almagro was elected to the OAS on "More Rights for More People", viewing his tenure as an opportunity to reduce inequality throughout the Western Hemisphere. "As OAS Secretary General, I am both government and opposition. I must be the voice of those without a voice; the more discriminated against. I must be the voice of those who suffer inequality; who suffer from the lack of protection of their rights; and I must be the staunchest defender of those rights."
Luis Almagro was born June 1, 1963, in Cerro Chato/Paysandu, Uruguay. Almagro studied at the University of the Republic in Montevideo, where he earned his law degree. During his 20 year career with the Uruguayan foreign ministry, Almagro represented Uruguay in the Islamic Republic of Iran (1991 – 1996), at UNESCO (1998), in Germany (1998-2003), as well as serving as Ambassador to China (2007-2010). He is fluent in Spanish, English, and French.
In the 2014 general election, Almagro was elected to the Senate of Uruguay. He later resigned to take the position of OAS Secretary General.
Almagro is married and has seven children.
During Almagro's time as Foreign Minister (2010-2015), Uruguay drew global recognition for a small South American country as they became the largest per capita contributor to UN peacekeeping forces as well as secured Uruguay's successful election seat to the UN Security Council. Almagro also supported efforts on the restoration of relations between Cuba and the US.
Almagro's commitment to human rights extended to domestic affairs as demonstrated by the active role in the repeal of the 1986 Expiry Law, which granted amnesty for crimes and human rights abuses committed during the civic-military dictatorship between 1973 and 1985, and actively supported prosecutions for these crimes.
A lawyer, Almagro was a member of the Executive Committee that drafted the groundbreaking legislation regulating the possession, growth, and distribution of marijuana in Uruguay in 2013. Uruguay is the first country in the world to introduce legislation of its kind. He also represented Uruguay at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), in the suit brought by Philip Morris International against Uruguay for its anti-tobacco policies. After six years, ICSID ruled in favor of Uruguay.
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