Module 9 Session 4 Materials
H.E. Mrs. Maritza Chan,
Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Costa Rica to the United Nations in New York.
Ambassador Maritza Chan is Costa Rica's Permanent Representative to the United Nations and the first woman to hold this post since Costa Rica became a founding member of the UN. With over 27 years of experience in international peace and security, disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control, gender equality, and the governance of emerging technologies, she has held multiple leadership positions.
Ambassador Chan was elected President of the 70th Commission on the Status of Women in March 2025 and will serve through March 2026.
She was also elected Chair of the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) in 2024—the first female Permanent Representative to preside over the Committee. That same year, she led the Fourth Review Conference on the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects to a consensus outcome and served as Vice-Chair of the Open-Ended Working Group on Conventional Ammunition (2022-2023), which elaborated the Global Framework for Through-life Conventional Ammunition Management.
Ambassador Chan served as President of the UNICEF Executive Board in 2022 and is a Board Member of the United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF), Security Council Report, and the International Peace Institute.
