Arancha González Laya facts for kids
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Arancha González Laya
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Arancha Gonzalez in May 2024
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| Dean of the Paris School of International Affairs | |
| Assumed office 1 March 2022 |
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| Preceded by | Enrico Letta |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation | |
| In office 13 January 2020 – 12 July 2021 |
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| Prime Minister | Pedro Sánchez |
| Preceded by | Margarita Robles (acting) |
| Succeeded by | José Manuel Albares |
| Executive Director of the International Trade Centre | |
| In office September 2013 – 13 January 2020 |
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| Preceded by | Patricia Francis |
| Succeeded by | Pamela Coke-Hamilton |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
María Aránzazu González Laya
22 May 1969 San Sebastián, Spain |
| Education | University of Navarra Carlos III University of Madrid |
María Aránzazu "Arancha" González Laya (born 22 May 1969) is a Spanish lawyer who has held several important international roles. She was the Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation for Spain from 2020 to 2021. Currently, Arancha González is the leader (called the Dean) of the Paris School of International Affairs at a famous French university called Sciences Po.
Before these roles, she was an assistant Secretary-General for the United Nations. She also led the International Trade Centre, which is a group that helps countries with trade. She held this position from 2013 to 2020.
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Early Life and Education
Arancha González Laya was born in San Sebastián, Spain, on 22 May 1969. She grew up in a town called Tolosa in the Basque region of Spain. She studied law at the University of Navarre. Later, she earned another degree in European law from Carlos III University of Madrid.
Career Highlights
Starting Her Career
Arancha González Laya began her career working as a lawyer for a German law firm in Brussels. She helped companies with rules about trade, competition, and government support.
Working for Governments and International Groups
From 2002 to 2005, Arancha González Laya worked for the European Commission. She was a spokesperson for trade and an advisor. She helped with important trade agreements between the European Union and other regions like Mercosur and the Balkans.
Later, she worked for the World Trade Organization (WTO) from 2005 to 2013. She was the Chief of Staff for the leader of the WTO. In this role, she helped create programs like "Aid for Trade." These programs help the world's poorest countries develop their trade skills. She also represented the WTO leader at meetings of the G-20, which are meetings of the world's biggest economies.
As the leader of the International Trade Centre, Arancha González Laya worked hard to help women around the world succeed in business. In 2015, she started the SheTrades Initiative. This project aims to connect millions of women entrepreneurs to markets where they can sell their products. She also helped create the Buenos Aires Declaration on Women and Trade. This was an important agreement made at a World Trade Organization meeting in Argentina in 2017. In 2019, she helped write a book called "Women Shaping Global Economic Governance," which featured essays from many women leaders.
She also started the Trade for Sustainable Development Forum in 2014. This forum brings together people from governments and businesses to talk about how trade can be more environmentally friendly and help fight climate change.
Minister of Foreign Affairs for Spain
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On 13 January 2020, Arancha González Laya became the Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation for Spain. As Foreign Minister, she was in charge of how Spain deals with other countries and international groups.
During her time as minister, she worked on important issues. On 31 December 2020, she helped reach an agreement with the United Kingdom about Gibraltar. This happened as the Brexit transition period was ending. In 2021, she introduced a new plan for Spain's foreign policy for the next three years. She left this role in July 2021.
Leading the Paris School of International Affairs
On 1 March 2022, Arancha González Laya became the Dean of the Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA). She is the first woman to hold this important position. As Dean, she leads the school and helps guide its programs. PSIA is known as one of the best schools in the world for studying politics and international relations.
Other Important Work
Arancha González Laya is also involved with many other important groups around the world. She is a member of the Board of Trustees for the Bertelsmann Stiftung and the Advisory Council for the Munich Security Conference. She is also part of the European Council on Foreign Relations and the World Economic Forum, where she helps discuss the future of international trade.
Political Views
Arancha González Laya believes in the unity of Spain. She supports talking and finding solutions for the issue of Catalan independence.
Personal Life
Arancha González Laya has taught about trade and development at several universities. She is very good with languages and can speak six: Spanish, Basque, English, French, German, and Italian. For fun, she enjoys hiking and art.
See Also
In Spanish: Arancha González Laya para niños
