2009: H.E. Ms. Sylvie Lucas (Luxembourg)

2009-president

Biography

Her Excellency Sylvie Lucas was elected sixty-fifth President of the Economic and Social Council on 15 January 2009. Ambassador Lucas is the Permanent Representative of Luxembourg to the United Nations.  She presented her credentials to the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on 25 August 2008.

Prior to her appointment, Ms. Lucas served as the Director for Political Affairs in Luxembourg’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She also held the post of the Ministry’s Deputy Director for Political Affairs from 2000 to 2003. 

In 1995, she was appointed, for a five year period, as Luxembourg’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations.

Ms. Lucas has also served as Luxembourg’s Ambassador to Portugal (2003-2004), and, simultaneously, as non-resident Ambassador to Cape Verde. She began her Government career in 1990, when she joined her Foreign Ministry’s Directorate for Political and Cultural Affairs. From 1991 to 1995, she served in the Directorate for International and Economic Relations.

Ms. Lucas was born on 30 June 1965.  She received a Master of Arts degree in history from the University of Human Sciences in Strasbourg in 1988, and a Master of Arts in European political and administrative studies in 1989 from the College of Europe in Bruges, Belgium.  She speaks five languages: Luxemburgish, French, English, German and Portuguese.

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)