Ismael Abraão Gaspar Martins (born 12 January 1940) is an Angolan diplomat and political figure who has been Angola's Permanent Representative to the United Nations since 2001. Previously he was Minister of Finance from 1977 to 1982, Minister of External Trade from 1982 to 1987, and Executive Director of the African Development Bank from 1989 to 1995.

Background

Born at Luanda, Martins holds a Bachelor's degree in economics from Lycoming College in Pennsylvania, United States. He completed his post-graduate studies in economics at the University of Mannheim, Germany in 1969. Martins then attended Oxford University in the UK, receiving a diploma in economic development. He is married and has four children.

Early career

From 1971 to 1972, Martins worked as a research officer on agricultural development policies in Africa for the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development in Geneva. He then served with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) from 1972 to 1975 as an economic affairs officer, overseeing studies and policies on the issue of economic integration in Africa, and on trade negotiations between the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States and the European Union. In 1975, he was appointed external and economic affairs adviser to the

President of Angola The president of Angola () is both head of state and head of government in Angola. According to the constitution adopted in 2010, the post of prime minister is abolished; executive authority belongs to the president who has also a degree of leg ...

, Agostinho Neto. From 1976 to 1977, Gaspar Martins was Governor of the Central Bank of Angola, before serving as Minister of Finance until 1982. He was appointed as Angola's Minister of External Trade in 1982, and worked in this position until 1987. From 1989 to 1995, Ismael Gaspar Martins was the Executive Director of the African Development Bank, based in Abidjan,

Ivory Coast Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital is Yamoussoukro, in the centre of the country, while its largest city and economic centre is ...

. From 1996 to 2000, Martins served on the

Southern African Development Community Task Force Southern may refer to: Businesses * China Southern Airlines, airline based in Guangzhou, China * Southern Airways, defunct US airline * Southern Air, air cargo transportation company based in Norwalk, Connecticut, US * Southern Airways Express ...

at the World Economic Forum Summit. In 1996, he was a founding member and Co-President of the Angola-South Africa Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He also held the position of Managing Director of Gaspar Martins and Associates (a business consultancy firm).

Diplomatic career

In April 2001, President José Eduardo dos Santos appointed Martins as roving

Ambassador An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or sov ...

, and in May 2001 as the new Ambassador to the United Nations. In a ceremony in Luanda, Ambassador Martins said he would work to help the UN play a "decisive role" in Angola as the country searches for peace, stability and development. At the

2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference The 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP 21 or CMP 11 was held in Paris, France, from 30 November to 12 December 2015. It was the 21st yearly session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the 1992 United Nations Framework Conve ...

, Gaspar Martins represented the 28 Least Developed Countries (LDC Group), which negotiated as a bloc.Sewell Chan and Melissa Eddy (December 13, 2015)
Leaders Move to Convert Paris Climate Pledges Into Action
'' New York Times''.

References

External links

Biography on UN.intUN maintains sanctions on Liberia
- news article on

Liberia Liberia (), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean ...

n sanctions, including comments from Ismael Gaspar Martins * {{DEFAULTSORT:Martins, Ismael Abraao Gaspar 1940 births Permanent Representatives of Angola to the United Nations Living people Finance ministers of Angola Governors of the Bank of Angola University of Mannheim alumni Lycoming College faculty Alumni of the University of Oxford Trade ministers of Angola Angolan women ambassadors MPLA politicians Angolan expatriates in the United Kingdom Angolan expatriates in the United States Angolan expatriates in Germany Angolan expatriates in Switzerland Angolan expatriates in Ivory Coast