Erika Mouynes Explained

Erika Mouynes
Office:Minister of Foreign Affairs
Term Start:2 December 2020
Term End:October 2022
Predecessor:Alejandro Ferrer López
Successor:Janaina Tewaney
Birth Date:1977 11, df=yes
Committees:Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center Advisory Council

Erika Mouynes (born 24 November 1977)[1] is a Panamanian diplomat and lawyer. Mouynes held various senior roles in the government of Panama, including serving as the 62nd Minister of Foreign Affairs.[2] [3]

She currently serves as the Chair of the Advisory Board for the Atlantic Council-Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center. Mouynes is a fellow at the Harvard University Advanced Leadership Initiative.[4] [5]

Her professional experience extends to the private sector, where she has worked as a senior attorney at the international law firm Shearman & Sterling LLP. She also held the position of Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel at Fintech Advisory, an investment company based on Wall Street.

Early life and education

Mouynes was born in Panama.[6] She completed her undergraduate education in Panama, obtaining a Bachelor's degree in Law and Political Sciences from Santa Maria la Antigua Catholic University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from the Latin American University of Science and Technology, graduating magna cum laude from both institutions. Mouynes pursued further education in the United States as a Fulbright scholar and obtained a postgraduate Certificate in Business, a Master of Laws (LLM) in Corporate Law from New York University, as well as a LLM in International Law from the University of California, Berkeley.[7]

Career

Beginnings

Mouynes began her career practicing law in Panama and abroad. She was an attorney in project finance at the New York City office Shearman & Sterling law firm from 2007 to 2013.[8] [9] Subsequently, she served as Chief Legal Officer of the investment fund, Fintech from 2013 to 2017.

In 2015, Mouynes received the Association of Corporate Counsel's Best Global General Counsel Award in 2015.

In the Panamanian government, Mouynes was appointed Chief of Staff of the Ministry of Commerce and Industries in 2004 and Vice Minister of Multilateral Affairs and Cooperation in 2019. She played a role in negotiating the U.S.-Panama Free Trade Agreement and contributed to the development of Panama’s COVID-19 vaccine portfolio.

Minister of Foreign Affairs

Mouynes served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Panama from December 2020-October 2022. Appointed by then President Laurentino Cortizo on December 2, 2020, she succeeded Dr. Alejandro Ferrer.[9] During her tenure at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mouynes addressed multiple global and regional issues, focusing on climate change, digital inclusion, irregular immigration, and gender inequality. She aimed to incorporate these topics into Panama's foreign policy and international discussions.[10] Her diplomatic achievements include leading efforts to form the first-ever alliance of countries that are carbon negative and securing environmental protections for the Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor.[11] [12]

Mouynes actively represented Panama in international forums such as the Forum of Countries of Latin America and the Caribbean on Sustainable Development 2022, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and the Smart Women, Smart Power Conversation at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, emphasizing the importance of sustainability and gender equality in solution building.[13] [14] She has been acknowledged for her role in promoting dialogues and convening conferences with high-ranking government officials and business leaders across the Western Hemisphere.[15]

Current roles

Currently, Mouynes chairs the Board of the Atlantic Council-Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center and is a fellow at the Harvard University Advanced Leadership Initiative.

Selected publications

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Erika Mouynes. 1 March 2021. Ministra de Relaciones Exteriores. es.
  2. News: 2 December 2020. Panama's new foreign minister sworn in. Xinhuanet. 1 March 2021.
  3. News: 3 December 2020. Panama's New Foreign Minister Sworn in. The Rio Times. 1 March 2021.
  4. Web site: Erika Mouynes – UNO Magazine . LLYC . en-US.
  5. Web site: Erika Mouynes . Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative . en-US.
  6. Web site: Erika Mouynes . Atlantic Council . en-US.
  7. Web site: The Association of Corporate Counsel's Top 10 30-somethings.
  8. Web site: 2021-05-04 . Gender Equality and Sustainability in Panama: A Conversation with Foreign Minister Erika Mouynes CSIS Events . CSIS Center for Strategic & International Studies . en.
  9. Web site: 2020-12-03 . New Minister of Foreign Affairs of Panama . EOP . en-US.
  10. Web site: 2022-05-01 . Panama: Catalyzing climate and conservation action through green diplomacy . Diplomat magazine . en-US.
  11. Web site: 2021-11-02 . Panama Leads New Coalition of Carbon-Negative Countries . Mission Panama . en-US.
  12. Web site: 2022-01-26 . PANAMA PARTICIPATES IN THE INAUGURATION CEREMONY FOR THE LARGEST PROTECTED MARINE CORRIDOR IN THE WORLD . EOP . en-US.
  13. Web site: 2022-02-22 . Erika Mouynes . Forum of the Countries of Latin America and the Caribbean on Sustainable Development 2022 . es.
  14. Web site: Erika Mouynes . 2023-11-23 . The OECD Forum Network . en.
  15. Web site: Keynote Remarks: Minister Erika Mouynes, Panama Minister of Foreign Affairs Mainstage . Concordia . en-US.
  16. Web site: Mouynes . Erika . 2023-07-04 . In search of confidence to govern . Revista UNO . en-US.
  17. Web site: Mouynes . Erika . 2022-09-14 . No puede haber democracia sin confianza ("Mea culpa") . El País . es.
  18. Web site: Lopez . Erika Mouynes & Meghan . 2022-02-01 . Rethinking Migration in Latin America by Erika Mouynes & Meghan Lopez . Project Syndicate . en.
  19. Web site: Mouynes . Erika . 2021-12-04 . Without Women Leaders, We Won't Have The Bold and Concrete Climate Actions Our Planet Requires . Ms. Magazine . en-US.
  20. Web site: Mouynes . Erika . 2023-11-27 . The (Literal) Gap in U.S. Migration Policy . Foreign Policy . en-US.