| Post: | Executive Secretary |
| Body: | the Community of Portuguese Language Countries |
| Flag: | Flag CPLP.svg |
| Flagsize: | 150px |
| Flagcaption: | Flag |
| Incumbent: | Zacarias da Costa |
| Incumbentsince: | 17 July 2021 |
| Style: | His Excellency |
| Seat: | Penafiel Palace Lisbon, Portugal |
| Appointer: | CPLP Heads of State and Government at the CPLP Summit |
| Termlength: | Two years renewable once |
| Inaugural: | Marcolino Moco |
| Website: | Executive Secretariat |
The Executive Secretary of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (Portuguese: Secretário Executivo da Comunidade dos Países de Língua Portuguesa) is the executive head and highest representative of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP), also known as the Lusophone Commonwealth.
The Executive Secretary is charged with leading the Executive Secretariat (Secretariado Executivo), the CPLP's executive branch responsible for creating and implementing the CPLP's agenda of projects and initiatives.[1]
The Executive Secretary, who must be a high-ranking diplomat or politician from one of the member states, is elected for a mandate of two years at the biennial CPLP Summit, and can be reelected once to a second term.[2] The Executive Secretariat is headquartered at Penafiel Palace in Lisbon, Portugal.
The Executive Secretariat is the main executive body of CPLP and is responsible for:
1 - Implement the decisions of the Conference of Heads of State and Government, the Council of Foreign Ministers and the Permanent Consultation Committee;2 - Plan and ensure the execution of CPLP programs;3 - Organize and participate in the meetings of the various CPLP bodies;4 - Monitor the execution of the decisions of the Ministerial Meetings and other initiatives within the scope of the CPLP.
| Name | Portrait | Country | Start | End | width=25% | Background | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marcolino José Carlos Moco |  Angola | July 1996 | July 2000 | 3rd Prime Minister of Angola (1992–1996) | ||
| 2 | Dulce Maria Pereira |  Brazil | July 2000 | August 2002 | President of the Fundação Cultural Palmares (1996–2000) | ||
| 3 | João Augusto de Médicis | Brazil | August 2002 | April 2004 | Brazilian Ambassador to Kenya (1984–1989) Brazilian Ambassador to Poland (1991–1993) Brazilian Ambassador to China (1994–1996) Brazilian Ambassador to Chile (1999–2002) | ||
| 4 | Luís de Matos Monteiro da Fonseca | July 2004 | July 2008 | Cabo Verdean Ambassador to European Community (1987–1991) Cabo Verdean Ambassador to Russia (1991–1994) Cabo Verdean Ambassador to Austria (1999–2001) Cabo Verdean Ambassador to the United Nations (2001–2004) | |||
| 5 | Domingos Simões Pereira |  Guinea-Bissau | July 2008 | July 2012 | Guinea-Bissau Minister of Public Works (2004–2005) | ||
| 6 | Murade Isaac Murargy |  Mozambique | July 2012 | January 2017 | Secretary-General of the Presidency of Mozambique (1995–2005) Mozambican Ambassador to France and (Germany) (1985–1995) | ||
| 7 | Maria do Carmo Trovoada Pires de Carvalho Silveira | January 2017 | January 2019 | 13th Prime Minister of São Tomé and Príncipe (2005–2006) Governor of the São Toméan Central Bank (1999–2005, 2011–2016) | |||
| 8 | Francisco Ribeiro Telles |  Portugal | January 2019 | July 2021 | Portuguese Ambassador to Cabo Verde (2002–2006) Portuguese Ambassador to Angola (2007–2012) Portuguese Ambassador to Brazil (2012–2016) Portuguese Ambassador to Italy (2016–2018) | ||
| 9 | Zacarias da Costa | July 2021 | Present | East Timorese Minister of Foreign Affairs (2007–2012) |