In order to function effectively, the Commission needs to organize and prepare its work carefully and in advance. Such tasks are carried out by the Bureau and the Extended Bureau of the Commission, which play an active role in the preparation of the regular and the inter-sessional meetings with the assistance of the Secretariat.
The Bureau of the Commission is composed of the Chairperson, three Vice-Chairpersons and one Rapporteur. At the end of its reconvened session, the Commission elects its Bureau for the next session. The Extended Bureau also includes the Chairpersons of the five regional groups, the European Union and the Group of 77 and China.
The Commission is composed of 40 Member States elected by the Economic and Social Council, with the following distribution of seats among the regional groups:
(a) Twelve for African States;
(b) Nine for Asian States;
(c) Eight for Latin American and Caribbean States;
(d) Four for Eastern European States;
(e) Seven for Western European and other States.
The term of office for Commission Members is three years.
H.E. Mr. José Antonio ZABALGOITIA TREJO of Mexico (Group of Latin American and Caribbean States)
H.E. Ambassador Ruediger BOHN of Germany (Group of Western European and Other States)
H.E. Ambassador Atsushi KAIFU of Japan (Group of Asia-Pacific States)
H.E. Ambassador Maimounata OUATTARA of Burkina Faso (African Group)
Mr. Jiří BLAŽEK of the Permanent Mission of Czechia (Group of Eastern European States)
Born in Mexico City, he joined Mexico’s Foreign Service in 1988, where he reached the rank of Ambassador in 2009.
He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations from El Colegio de México, a Master’s degree in that same field from the London School of Economics and Political Science; and another Master on National Security from Mexico’s War College. He also did graduate courses on Political Communication and on Peace Research.
Ambassador Zabalgoitia has built a diverse, yet well-balanced diplomatic career. His major fields of expertise are: Latin America, Press and Communication, and Mexico - United States relations. He also combines bilateral and multilateral experience, where he has had important responsibilities regarding Mexico’s participation in regional and global fora and organizations.
He served as Consul General of Mexico in Miami, FL, from 2013 to 2017, when he was designated deputy ambassador to the United States of America. He supported negotiations that allowed to update NAFTA into USMCA in November 2018. He then represented Mexico in the Netherlands from 2019 to 2023. He was also Permanent Representative to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the international legal organizations established in The Hague, among them the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice.
He has served as Chief of Staff to the Secretary of Foreign Relations, where he was responsible for coordinating the Secretary’s participation in Cabinet meetings and for preparing hearings before Congress. In that position, he conducted the strategic planning process for the foreign policy chapter in the 2006 - 2012 National Development Plan.
He was Mexico’s National Coordinator for 28 regional political and economic fora. Among others, he oversaw Mexico’s participation at the Organization of American States and coordinated the design and implementation of the Pacific Alliance on behalf of Mexico. Within the Alliance, he led the working groups dealing with communications and migration issues.
He coordinated the Rio Group during Mexico’s tenure as its Pro Tempore Secretariat, in a process that culminated with the creation of CELAC. Overall, he prepared Mexico’s participation at the highest level in 18 regional and hemispheric summits. He also served as Director General for Latin American Affairs, where he conducted bilateral relations with the region.
He was appointed Ambassador to Bolivia, and served as Press Counselor at the Embassy in Spain and Minister for Public Affairs at the Embassy in the United States. Previously, was Director of Bilateral Relations with the U.S. and for Canadian Affairs during the negotiation of NAFTA.
Since December, 2023, he serves as Ambassador to Austria, Slovenia and Slovakia, and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office in Vienna and other international organizations based in this city.
He has published articles on Mexican and Latin American foreign policy and lectured at Mexico’s main academic institutions. He was awarded the S.H. Bailey Prize in International Relations in 1987.