United Nations
Director General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
He is the third Director General of UNIDO, the first Argentine and the youngest person in the history of the United Nations to win an international election to lead one of its Specialized Agencies (1997–2001).
Through a far-reaching reform, he restored UNIDO’s credibility, while its budget increased by 60%. He was re-elected for a second term (2001–2005), overseeing a total budget of USD 1.4 billion.
He focused on strengthening the provision of Global Public Goods, including the development of productive, trade and environmental capacities to reduce poverty; public-private partnerships to create employment, with companies such as Ericsson and Fiat; and capacities for post-conflict economic reconstruction in Afghanistan, Iraq and Sudan.
In recognition of his work, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan proposed him to the UN Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB) as the first Chairman of the High-Level Committee on Programmes (HLCP). His peers endorsed the appointment.
Before his arrival, in 1996, UNIDO was in crisis. The Commission on Global Governance recommended merging it with UNCTAD. Several countries had withdrawn and others were considering doing so.
UNIDO’s far-reaching reform reversed that trend, bringing in new Member States. External auditors and independent evaluations recognized its results, including the UK DFID’s 2005 Multilateral Effectiveness Framework.
