Ambassador Thompson Chacón was elected by a two-thirds majority vote of the Council, which brought together IOM Member States.
Laura Thompson Chacón brings to IOM a wealth of international experience, most recently as Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Costa Rica to the United Nations Office and other International Organizations in Geneva.
Over the course of her diplomatic career, she has represented Costa Rica to UNESCO, the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva.
In this capacity, Ambassador Thompson Chacón chaired several bodies on migration and refugee related matters, including the Executive Committee and the Council of the International Organization of Migration (IOM), and the Executive Committee of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Previously, she has held various posts as Legal Counsel to diverse international organizations in Geneva, including the United Nations Compensation Commission.
She participated as a fellow professor or a panelist in several seminars and roundtables on a wide variety of subjects ranging from migration, human rights, education, environment, to disarmament and compliance with international treaties, throughout the regions of the world.
Ambassador Thompson Chacón obtained a Masters degree in international relations with a specialization in international law from the Institut Universitaire de Hautes Etudes Internationales of Geneva and holds a degree in law from the University of Costa Rica.
In addition to Spanish, her mother tongue, Ambassador Thompson Chacón is fluent in English, French and Greek - and has basic knowledge of Italian and Portuguese.
For further information, please contact Jean Philippe Chauzy, IOM
Geneva, Tel: + 41 79 285 4366, or Jemini Pandya, + 41 79 217 3374
