LUIS GALLEGOS CHIRIBOGA is a distinguished Ecuadorian Ambassador, Jurist, and Career Diplomat with extensive expertise in Human Rights and Disability. Born on December 13, 1946, in Quito, Ecuador, Ambassador Gallegos has dedicated his life to public service, both nationally and internationally.
His robust academic background includes a Doctorate in Jurisprudence (1975) and a Licentiate in Political Science (1973) from the Universidad Central del Ecuador. He further honed his expertise with a Master’s in Law and Diplomacy from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Harvard University (1983), where he was a Hubert Humphrey Fellow. More recently, he completed a Fellowship in the Advanced Leadership Initiative at Harvard University (2022).
Ambassador Gallegos joined the Ecuadorian Foreign Service in 1966, embarking on a remarkable diplomatic career. Within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he held numerous directorships including Planning, External Credit and Technical Assistance, Information and Press, Eastern Europe, Legalizations, and Personnel. He also served as Coordinator of Summits, Political Undersecretary, and notably as Minister of Foreign Affairs (ad interim on several occasions, and officially from 2020-2021).
His international representations include serving as Third Secretary in Madrid, Consul General in Chicago, and Counselor in Washington D.C., where he was also Chargé d’affaires in Bulgaria. He held ambassadorships in El Salvador, Australia, and notably represented Ecuador as Ambassador to the United States (2005–2011) and as Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva (multiple periods: 1997-2000, 2011-2014, 2018-2021) and New York (three periods).
A recognized leader in multilateral affairs, Ambassador Gallegos has held numerous prestigious international roles. He served as Vice President of the UN Human Rights Commission (1998), Vice President of the WIPO General Assembly (1997–1998), Vice President of the G-77 (1999), and Vice President of the 57th UN General Assembly. He played a pivotal role as Facilitator for the Revitalization and Strengthening of the UN General Assembly (2002) and as Vice President of the UNICEF Executive Board.
His profound commitment to human rights and disability rights is evident through his leadership roles, including President of the Working Group that drafted the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2002–2005), Vice President and Rapporteur of the Human Rights Council (2013), and President of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2019-2020). He also served as an Independent Expert of the UN Committee against Torture (2006–2011).
Academically, Ambassador Gallegos has shared his expertise as a Professor of International Law at the Universidad Central del Ecuador, and as a Professor at various institutions including the Military Academy, the Air Force Military Academy, the Institute on Disability and Public Policy at American University, and the United Nations University. He is also a frequent national and international lecturer.
Currently (as of 2025), he remains highly active, serving as President of the Advisory Board for UNITAR’s Division of Persons, President of the Board for the Global Initiative on Ageing and Longevity (GIA) and the World Institute on Disability (WID), and President Emeritus of G3ICT. He is also an Honorary President of the Universal Design Commission, Senior Advisor to the Harvard Law School Disability Project, and an Advisor for Special Olympics International.
Ambassador Gallegos has received numerous international and national decorations, including honors from Bulgaria, France, Brazil, El Salvador, Guatemala, Spain, Peru, and Ecuador’s National Order of Merit (2002, 2011) and the Honorato Vásquez Order (2007).