João Clemente Baena Soares (14 May 1931 – 7 June 2023) was a Brazilian diplomat.
Soares was born in
Belém. He worked at the
Brazilian Ministry of External Relations for 31 years before being elected to serve as
Secretary General of the Organization of American States from 1984 to 1994.
In Brazil, he also served as
Secretary General of Foreign Affairs of Brazil (that is, as Brazil's Vice-Chancellor).
Between 1997 and 2006, he was a member of the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
International Law Commission. On 4 November 2003
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan appointed him to sit on the
High Level Threat Panel.
On 1 September 2006, he was appointed to the
United Nations Human Rights Council
The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is a United Nations body whose mission is to promote and protect human rights around the world. The Council has 47 members elected for staggered three-year terms on a United Nations Regional Gro ...
's High-Level Commission of Inquiry charged with probing allegations that
Israel
Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
systematically targeted and killed
Lebanese civilians during the
2006 Lebanon War.
Soares died on 7 June 2023, at the age of 92.
Publications
* ''Sem medo da diplomácia'' (2006)
References
External links
*
1931 births
2023 deaths
Brazilian diplomats
Brazilian jurists
People from Belém
Secretaries general of the Organization of American States
Recipients of the Order of Prince Henry
Grand Crosses of the Order of Christ (Portugal)
Grand Crosses of the Order of Merit (Portugal)
Recipients of the Order of the Sun of Peru
Grand Officers of the Order of Saint James of the Sword
Commanders of the Legion of Honour
Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro alumni
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