Oscar FORNOZA is the General Coordinator and Human Resources Manager at ICTSD. Before joining ICTSD in 2003, Mr. Fornoza was a career diplomat, for more than 23 years, where he advanced into key leadership roles at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Institute of Foreign Trade of Venezuela.
He represented his country, inter alia, as Chargé d’affaires to the Kingdom of Denmark, Deputy Chief of Mission in Argentina, Deputy Permanent Representative to the Latin-American Integration Association (ALADI) and Deputy Chief of Mission in Uruguay, Chief of Division for Technical Cooperation with Central American and the Caribbean, Chief of Division for Economic Integration and as delegate to numerous meetings and conferences at UNO, ECOSOC, UNWRA, UNIDO, UNCTAD, UNFCCC, FAO, IAEA, OPEC, ITC, ILO, WIPO, UTI, The Economic and Social Council of the Organization of American States, the Group of the 77, the United Nations Conference on Women, the United Nations Conference for the Adoption of a Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, the Latin-American Economic System (SELA), the Andean Community of Nations (CAN), the Iberoamerican Summits, and as team member for Venezuela’s adhesion to the GATT and the Uruguay Round.
Mr. Fornoza completed graduate studies in Political Science - International Economic Affairs at Simon Bolivar University in Sartenejas, Venezuela, and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications from Northern Kentucky University, Highland Heights, Kentucky, USA. At the Venezuelan Diplomatic Academy, he participated in specialization courses in Oil Diplomacy, European Integration, International Trade Policy and Harvard’s Negotiation Project. Mr. Fornoza is of joint Venezuelan and Irish nationality.