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Officials

Carmen Marina Gutiérrez

Director, Department of Strategic Communications and Image

Since March 2008, Carmen Marina Gutiérrez Salazar serves as the Director of the Department of Communication and Institutional Image of the Organization of American States (OAS).  Under her leadership, a Communication Strategy for the Secretariat for External Relations has been developed and an Institutional Identity System, which for the first time determines the key elements to project a thorough and accurate image of the OAS, has been implemented.

Prior to that appointment, Ambassador Gutiérrez was Director of the Summits of the Americas and contributed to the Summits’ process with the publication of “Toward the Fifth Summit of the Americas:  Regional Challenges.”  That document, edited by Ambassador Gutiérrez, provides institutional contributions and insights aimed at supporting the work of the Summit held in Trinidad and Tobago in 2009.   Previously, she was appointed Director of the Department of Follow-up, Policies and Programs of the Executive Secretariat for Integral Development (SEDI) and oversaw the formulation of integral development policies and evaluation programs and projects while leading and coordinating the preparation of the Strategic Plan for Partnership for Development, 2006-2009.

A member of the Nicaraguan Foreign Service since 1993, her previous appointments include Costa Rica and Spain, where she served as Consul General.  Ambassador Gutiérrez also acted as Chargée d’affaires of the Embassy of Nicaragua to the White House and, from March 2003 to September 2005, as Ambassador, Permanent Representative to the OAS.  During that time, she chaired the OAS Committee on Hemispheric Security and the Permanent Council.  In addition, she was elected Vice-Chair of the First Meeting of the Conference of States Parties to the Mechanism for Follow-up on the Implementation of the Inter-American Convention against Corruption (MESICIC).

Throughout her career as Representative of the Government of Nicaragua, Ambassador Gutiérrez has been a leading voice on matters related to gender equality and human rights.  She played a key role in the drafting and inclusion of language on women’s equal participation and empowerment in the development of our societies that lead to the adoption of the Declaration of León by the Special Summit of the Americas held in Monterrey, Mexico, in 2004.

Hence, upon her election as Rapporteur of the General Committee of the Special Conference on Security held in Mexico in 2003, she advocated the importance of increasing women’s participation in all efforts aimed at promoting peace and security in the Hemisphere and drafted the statement related to these topics contained in the Declaration on Security in the Americas.

Ambassador Gutiérrez has actively participated to various forums and panels aimed at promoting gender equality and equity in the Hemisphere.  At the Twelfth National Conference on Hemispheric Relations of Hispanic Americans, held in Miami, Florida, in 2004, Ambassador Gutiérrez served as guest panelist in the session on “Women Leaders in Latin America.”

A career diplomat, Ambassador Gutiérrez completed all elective courses for a doctoral degree in Public International Law and European Community Law from the Universidad de Alcalá de Henares in Spain. In 1993, she also completed her graduate studies in Diplomacy with emphasis on Negotiation and International Economy, at the Diplomatic Academy Manuel María Peralta of the University of Costa Rica.  In 1987, Ambassador Gutiérrez received her Bachelor’s degree in Advertising from the Universidad Autónoma de Centro America (San José, Costa Rica, Campus).

Throughout her career, Ambassador Gutiérrez has focused on issues related to international trade, integration processes, human rights, regional security, development, and international law.

A keen reader and writer, Ambassador Gutiérrez has been published in various Spanish magazines, as well as in specialized Central American publications.  She has collaborated in programs aired by the BBC of London and the Radio Nacional  of Spain.