Cristina Gallach

Cristina Gallach was born in 1960 in Spain. She obtained an licentiate degree in "Sciences of Information" (Journalism) from the Autonomous University of Barcelona in 1982. She earned a master's degree in International Affairs from New York's Columbia University in 1986, after being granted a Fulbright Scholarship.[3]

Gallach worked as a journalist for the publication El Periódico, and the news agencies Avui and TVE Barcelona.

Gallach has extensive experience in the field of communications. She has held several high-level positions and has worked as an aide to Javier Solana during the latter's tenures as spokesperson for the Spanish Government, Secretary-General of the European Union and thereafter as Secretary-General of both the European Union and Western European Union.[4]

Gallach, Wonder Woman actresses Gal Gadot and Lynda Carter, Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins, and DC Entertainment President Diane Nelson appeared at the United Nations on October 21, 2016, the 75th anniversary of the first appearance of Wonder Woman, to mark the character's designation by the United Nations as its "Honorary Ambassador for the Empowerment of Women and Girls".[5][6] The gesture was intended to raise awareness of UN Sustainable Development Goal No. 5, which seeks to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls by 2030.[5][6][7] The decision was met with protests from UN staff members who stated in their petition to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that the character is "not culturally encompassing or sensitive", and served to objectify women. As a result, the character was stripped of the designation, and the project ended December 16.[7]

There was controversy over Gallach's United Nations post subsequent to her ban of Inner City Press from UN Reporting circles after they reported on alleged nepotism in UN circles. She left her UN post in the wake of those controversies.[8]

In July 2018, she was appointed High Commissioner for the 2030 Agenda of Spain, a new office created this year to coordinate the actions of the Government to accomplish with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.[9] She left the office in January 2020, when she was appointed as the 14th Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.