2008: H.E. Mr. Léo Mérorès (Haiti)

2008-president

Biography

His Excellency Léo Mérorès was elected sixty-fourth President of the Economic and Social Council on 14 January 2008. Ambassador Mérorès is the Permanent Representative of Haiti to the United Nations. He presented his credentials to the United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan on 30 March 2005.

In January 2006, Mr. Mérorès was elected Vice-President of the Economic and Social Council representing the Group of Latin America and Caribbean.

From April 2004 to March 2005, Ambassador Mérorès served as his country’s Chargé d’Affaires at Haiti’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York. From April 2001 to March 2004, he served as a consultant on management and economic cooperation issues for several United Nations entities, including the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Mr. Mérorès was associated with the UNDP for many years, beginning in 1974. From September 1992 to March 2001, he was a Principal Counsellor for UNDP working with the countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). From 1984 to 1992, he was UNDP’s Deputy Resident Representative for Liberia, Mali and Cameroon, and in 1989 and 1992, he was also responsible for the UNDP offices in Gabon and Burundi. From 1978 to 1984, he was UNDP’s Assistant Resident Representative in Togo and Madagascar, and worked in UNDP’s office in Rwanda as Programme Officer from 1974 to 1978.

In 1964, Mr. Mérorès received a Bachelor of Laws degree from the Law School of the State University of Haiti and an Accountant’s diploma from Ecole de Commerce Maurice Laroche in Port-au-Prince. In 1969, he obtained a Master’s degree in economic science and in 1973, a PhD in economics, both from New York University.

Statements
  • Statement at the organizational session of ECOSOC 2010 (English / French)
  • Opening of the UN Vienna Symposium on “Accountable and Transparent Development Cooperation: Towards a More Inclusive Framework”, Vienna - French(12-13 November 2009)
  • Opening statement, special event of the “Food and Economic Crises in Post-Conflict Countries”, New York, English / French (29 October 2009)
  • Introduction of the Report of the Economic and Social Council for 2009 (A/64/3), New York, English / French (27 October 2009)
  • Meeting on ICT for Sustainable Development, “Green Technology & Sustainability: The Global Highway to Sustainable Business, Economic and Social Development,” New York - English (7 October 2009)
  • Closing statement, Substantive Session of ECOSOC - English /French (31 July 2009)
  • Eleventh Session of the International Association of Economic and Social Councils and Similar Institutions (AICESIS) - French (11 July 2009)
  • Opening Statement at the High-level Segment of the Economic and Social Council - English / French (6 July 2009)
  • Africa Regional Ministerial Meeting on "eHealth - information and communication technology for health", Accra, Ghana - English (10-11 June 2009)
  • Closing Statement: Latin America and Caribbean Regional Ministerial Meeting on "HIV and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean", Montego Bay, Jamaica - English (6 June 2009)
  • Opening Statement: Latin America and Caribbean Regional Ministerial Meeting on "HIV and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean", Montego Bay, Jamaica - English (5-6 June 2009)
  • Conference on "Health Women: Gateway to a Healthy World - Health Care and Health Policy for Women and Girls", New York - English ( 20 May 2009)
  • Seventeenth Session of the Commission for Sustainable Development, New York - English / French (13 May 2009)
  • Annual Ministerial Review Regional Ministerial Meeting for Western Asia on "Addressing Non-communicable Diseases and Injuries: Major Challenges to Sustainable Development in the 21st century", Doha - English (10 May 2009)
  • Asia-Pacific Regional Ministerial Meeting on “Promoting Health Literacy”, Beijing, China - English (29-30 April 2009)
  • Special High-level Meeting of ECOSOC with the Bretton Woods Institutions, the World Trade Organization and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, New York - English / French (27 April 2009)
  • Security Council meeting on Haiti, New York - French (6 April 2009)
  • Forty-Second Session of the Commission on Population and Development, New York - English / French (2 April 2009)
  • Global Preparatory Meeting for the 2009 ECOSOC High-level Segment - English / French (31 March 2009)
  • Eight Session of the Committee of Experts on Public Administration - English / French (30 March 2009)
  • Interactive Expert Panel on "Gender perspectives on global public health"-Fifty-third Session of the Commission on the Status of Women - English / French(12 March 2009)
  • Eleventh Session of the Committee for Development Policy - English / French (9 March 2009)
  • Fifty-third Session of the Commission on the Status of Women - English / French (2 March 2009)
  • Special Event on Philanthropy and the Global Public Health Agenda - Opening Session: English / French (23 February 2009)
  • High-Level Working Session - Harmonious Cities: Music, Technology, Culture and Health - English (3 February 2009)
  • Meeting of the ECOSOC Bureau with the Chairpersons of the Functional Commissions - English / French (27 January 2009)
  • ECOSOC Organizational Session - English / French (15 January 2009)