Dra. Maria Amelia Paiva
Honorary Marshal - 2010
Born in Lisbon, Portugal, January 21st, 1961;
B.A. in History, Faculdade de Letras, Universidade Clássica de Lisboa, 1983;
High School Teacher from 1983 to January 1990;
Joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs as Embassy’ Attaché in February, 16, 1990.
Minister Plenipotentiary, in December 27Th, 2012.
From February 1990 until November 1991 at the General Direction for Cooperation (assistant to the Director General in the area of Multilateral Aid Cooperation; responsible for the analyses of projects for NGOD’s cooperation initiatives; member of the Portuguese delegation to the UNDP’ Administration Council meetings, in New York.
From November 4, 1991 to April 15, 1993, adjunct to the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, with the responsibility for the United Nations Conference for the Environment and Development during the Portuguese Presidency of the European Union (first semester of 1992).
From April 21, 1993 to August 30, 1995 at the Direction for African Political Affairs at the General Direction for Bilateral Relations (responsible for Angola, namely the Peace Process, Guiné-Bissau, Cape Verde and S. Tomé and Príncipe and the other countries of the West African Coast.
From September 4, 1995 to August 8, 2000 at the Portuguese Mission to the United Nations with the responsibility of several different portfolios (disarmament, Africa and Latin America in the Security Council, and 3rd Committee – Human Rights, Women Rights and Social Issues).
From September 2000 to September 2002 – Chief of Division at the South and Central America Direction (General Direction for Bilateral Relations) with the following main responsibilities: Brazil, Cuba, Adjunct of the National Coordinator of the Ibero-American Summit, Portuguese Delegate at the European Union meetings on Latin America and Caribbean Countries.
Interim Director for the South and Central America Direction between June and September 2001.
From September 18, 2002 to September 30, 2005, President of the Commission for Equality and Women Rights of Portugal.
From November 2, 2005 to August, 24 2009 Consul General of Portugal in Toronto (for Ontario and Manitoba).
From August 25, 2009 to August 13 2013, Consul General of Portugal in Newark (for the States of New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware).
From October 2013 Ambassador of Portugal in Warsaw.
From October 2016 Ambassador of Portugal in Maputo.
Honored by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, on January 27, 1993.