Mauricio Artiñano is a foreign affairs and diplomacy expert with particular expertise on the United Nations (UN), Latin America, and peacebuilding. Mauricio has served in UN peace operations in South Sudan (UNMISS), Somalia (UNSOM) and, more recently, in both UN special political missions in Colombia (UNMC and UNVMC), in a variety of roles supporting the implementation of the Colombian Final Peace Agreement. From 2008-2009, Mauricio was a diplomat for Costa Rica during its term on the UN Security Council, focusing on sub-Saharan African issues and also serving as the youngest-ever Political Coordinator for a Security Council member. Mauricio has an ample background in corporate social responsibility and public-private partnerships through his work with the Business Alliance for Development (AED) in his native Costa Rica. He is also skilled at stakeholder engagement, project management, and community relations, having led large volunteering initiatives in Costa Rica and local peacebuilding projects in Colombia, including supporting a group of former FARC-EP guerrilla fighters and their local community in establishing a thriving eco-tourism enterprise. Mauricio holds a BA in international relations (summa cum laude) from Tufts University and an MPA from the Princeton University School of Public and International Affairs. He is also a dedicated activist for people living with HIV, co-founding HIV awareness campaigns in Colombia and Costa Rica since being diagnosed with the virus in 2015.