The Board of Governors of the EU-LAC International Foundation has appointed Alberto Brunori as its new Executive Director for the 2024-2028 mandate. Brunori, an Italian national with an extensive background in international relations and human rights, will lead the organisation in its mission to enhance bi-regional partnerships between the European Union (EU) and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). He will officially assume his new role on 26 July 2024.
Brunori has had a distinguished career with notable roles in the United Nations. He recently served as the Regional Representative for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Central America and the English-speaking Caribbean, overseeing human rights monitoring and coordinating a regional team. His previous roles include OHCHR Representative in Colombia, Guatemala, and Mexico. Brunori has received several prestigious awards, including the Orden del Quetzal en grado de Gran Cruz from Guatemala and the Cavaliere dell'Ordine della Stella d'Italia from Italy.
As the new Executive Director, Brunori is poised to lead the EU-LAC International Foundation into a future of enhanced collaboration between the two regions. His appointment underscores the organisation's commitment to strengthening ties and promoting joint initiatives that benefit both the EU and LAC regions.
Statement by Alberto Brunori, appointed Executive Director of the EU-LAC Foundation:
I am honoured to have been appointed as the new Executive Director of the EU-LAC Foundation by its Board of Governors. I will certainly dedicate all my efforts to strengthening such a relevant relevant organisation, which plays a crucial role in the bi-regional relationship between the European Union, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
I will closely and attentively follow the significant work that the EU-LAC Foundation team has been carrying out under Adrian Bonilla and Leire Pajin, to whom I extend my personal thanks for the warm welcome and introduction to the Foundation’s operations.
I am a convinced supporter of multilateralism, cooperation, and dialogue—whether between states, between civil society and the state, or among the civil societies across regions. I recognise the vital roles played by all actors, such as the private sector and academia, in the exchange of ideas, cultures, and initiatives between the EU and LAC. I will continue to implement the mandate of the EU-LAC Foundation based on those same principles.
Inspired by our common values and guided by the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, we will work together with a common vision for the future, as underlined in the Final Declaration of the III EU-CELAC Summit.
