IDPP offers its heartfelt congratulations to Amb. Luis Gallegos, chair of the IDPP Joint Advisory Board, for his appointment as Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Ecuador to the United Nations Office in Geneva by Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno. Amb. Gallegos has a long and distinguished career in diplomacy and advocating for disability rights and human rights, including his role as chair of the UN taskforce that negotiated the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

On March 15, Amb. Gallegos presented his Credentials to the Director General of the United Nations Office in Geneva. “It is an honor that President Lenin Moreno asked me to serve my country and my people. I consider it a distinction that I value greatly,” says Gallegos.

This is the second time that Amb. Gallegos has served in this capacity. In addition, he previously served as Ambassador of Ecuador to the United States from 2005 until 2011. In 2013, he was unanimously elected by his peers to serve as Vice President and Rapporteur of the United Nations Human Rights Council for 2013. The Congress of Ecuador has honored him twice for his work in human rights and for his leadership in the promotion and protection of human rights of persons with disabilities.

Amb. Gallegos also serves as Chair of G3ict and serves on the Board of Directors of Special Olympics.