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Gabriela Ramos

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Gabriela Ramos, Assistant Director-General for the Social and Human Sciences of UNESCO

Gabriela Ramos (born April 8, 1964) is a Mexican economist, diplomat and international civil servant.[1] In 2020 she was appointed Assistant Director-General for Social and Human Sciences at UNESCO.[2]

Previously, she was Chief of Staff and Sherpa at the OECD (2000-2020). In both positions, and during her period in Mexico, she has spearheaded change on the ground through international agreements, including to revamp the international tax regime; avoiding tax elusion and tax erosion; contributing to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change through a report on financial support to developing countries and more recently, promoting the ethical development and deployment of artificial intelligence, with the only international instrument covering 194 countries. She is passionate about relying on evidence for change and has contributed to advance impactful policy reforms all around the world on education (through PISA); health, gender equality and telecommunications.

Biography

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Ramos graduated with a bachelor's degree in international relations from the Universidad Iberoamericana and received a master's degree in public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School. She is married to Ricardo López, with whom she has two daughters, Paula and Julia.[3]

Career

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Ramos held various positions in the Mexican government, first as part of the Foreign Service and as advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and to the Minister of Budget and later as the Director of Economic Affairs and the OECD in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs between 1995 and 1998.[4] Between 1998 and 2000, she was a founding partner of Portico, a public policy consultancy.[5] In this position, she supported the National Institute of Elections in Mexico, to allow Mexicans abroad to vote in Presidential elections, which was a breakthrough and contributed to Mexico’s democratic progress.[6] She also contributed to a major environmental campaign to oppose the building of a salt factory at Laguna San Ignacio, ensuring the protection of the biosphere reserve in Golfo de Cortez, and the whale sanctuary.

From 2000 to 2006, she worked as director of the OECD's México Centre covering Mexico and Latin America.[7] In this position, she enhanced the contributions of the OECD to improve the quality of policy frameworks and institutions in Mexico. Working with the Ministry of Health, she supported the design of the "Seguro Popular" that granted health coverage to 50 million uninsured Mexicans.[8]

She also contributed to improve the competition laws in Mexico and after presenting the first results for Mexico of the OECD International Program for Student Evaluation (PISA)[9] in 2003, she contributed to the establishment of the National Evaluation of Education Institute (INEE) which was an essential piece to increase transparency and performance in the education system. The INEE was raised to a constitutional level in 2016.

In 2006 Ramos moved to Paris, to serve as a Deputy Chief of Staff of the OECD. In 2008, Ramos was appointed Cabinet Director of the Secretary-General of the OECD, José Ángel Gurría. In 2008, she was also appointed as the OECD's Sherpa for the G20, G7, and APEC. At the OECD, she also led the organization's "Inclusive Growth" initiative[10] and the "New Approaches for Economic Growth" (NAEC) initiative.[11] The Inclusive Growth initiative aimed to ensure that the benefits of economic growth were widely shared, reducing inequality and promoting equal opportunities for all. As part of the Initiative, she launched and co-chaired the Business4InclusiveGrowth.[12][13] Meanwhile, NAEC sought to redefine economic success by incorporating broader measures such as sustainability, social well-being, and resilience, addressing the challenges of the modern global economy.[14]

During her tenure, the OECD grew in importance, in budget and in staff, and major reforms (financial, human resources) were achieved. Thanks to the financial reform that she oversaw from the Secretariat side, the OECD spear-headed the negative impact of the financial crisis and saw its budget increase by 68%. The accession process, which was stagnant for a decade, was unblocked, and during this period, 8 new countries joined the Organization (i.e. Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Estonia, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovenia), and the ground was prepared for new ones, such as Brazil or Indonesia.[15]

In 2011, she launched the Gender Strategy,[16] that opened the door for the Organization impact on this, in several countries. In Mexico, this led to the quota in Congress, and the improvement of women leadership and the repelling of discriminatory laws.[17] More recently, she was part of the Gender Equality Advisory Council (GEAC) during Germany's G7 Presidency. This led her to earn the 2017 and 2018 Forbes Excellence award as well as being included as part of Apolitical’s 100 Most Influential People in Gender Policy in both 2018 and 2019.[18]

As the first Sherpa of the OECD to the G20, she ensured the organization supported the different Presidencies of the G20 with evidence and analytical pieces for the members of the group to achieve consensus. Major deliverables that were overseen by Ramos included the tracking of trade and investment protectionism measures[19] that prevented beggar thy neighbor policies that would have undermined the efforts to address the economic downturn linked to the financial markets. She also contributed to the major undertaking of the OECD at the G20, which was the revamping of the international tax regime, that allowed for member states to increase tax revenue by millions.[20]

She also provided with the evidence and supported the Australian Presidency to achieve the “Brisbane Target” the very first agreement of the G20 on gender equality, and which contributed to the creation of the W20. The OECD was asked to monitor, along with ILO, the delivery of the target.[21]

During her 10 years of tenure as a Sherpa, she also supported member’s efforts to adopt structural agendas, such as the Innovation Blueprint (Guangzou); the youth target (Antalya) and the Principles of Artificial Intelligence (Osaka).[22] She oversaw as well the targeted policy advice that the OECD delivered for member states, supporting policy reforms. Major undertakings were the quantification of policy reforms proposals in France; and the reform of the telecom sector in Mexico, that led to the increase of 50 million new subscribers in mobile telephony, and 70% decrease in prices.[23] Support was provided by all members in different policies, be it pensions, tax reforms, or the impact of Brexit. President of the COP21 in 2015, Laurent Fabius, requested the OECD to quantify the financial support of the advanced economies to developing ones, and she oversaw the work, that people close to the efforts qualified as essential to achieve the climate agreement.[24] At COP21, she oversaw, promoted and presented to the UNCC, where the OECD presented for the first time.

In 2020, UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay appointed Ramos as Assistant Director-General for Social and Human Sciences.[5]

In 2021, she was considered as a "actor of exceptional change” for her leadership in the delivery of the OECD.[25]

Her tenure continues to be marked by significant contributions on the international stage, driving global agreements that translate into impactful, tangible outcomes. Since her nomination, her efforts have centered on enhancing UNESCO’s influence at the intersection of science and policy. She has prioritized promoting the ethical use and development of science and technology, with particular focus on the transformative potential and risks of artificial intelligence and neurotechnology. These initiatives aim to ensure that technological advancements are aligned with human rights and ethical standards, fostering global equity and progress.

In 2024, Gabriela Ramos was awarded with the AI policy leader from the Center for AI and Digital Policy.[26]

Gabriela Ramos was finalist for the Prix de la Femme D’Influence 2024 in the politics category.[27]

Her additional initiatives include:

- Drafting and supervising the adoption by UNESCO's 193 member countries of the Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in November 2021.[3] This text is the first standard-setting instrument aimed at providing an ethical framework for the development of AI that has achieved consensus on a global scale. By July 2024, the principles established by the Recommendation were being implemented in the institutional and legal frameworks of more than 60 countries, thanks to the Readiness Assessment Method (RAM), also developed under Gabriela Ramos’ leadership. In May 2024, Chile launched its National AI Policy and a draft law based on the recommendations made by UNESCO in its report on the country's state of readiness. The adoption of the UNESCO Recommendation has also been followed by the development of a network of experts and initiatives comprising leading players in the AI field, ranging from the Global AI Ethics and Governance Observatory to the Business Council for AI Ethics, of which several industry giants such as Microsoft, Salesforce and Telefonica are members. Furthermore, Morocco based its White Paper on the Recommendation with many more countries taking example and reviewing their AI policy strategy.[28]

- The annual organization of the Global Forum against Racism and Discrimination.[29]

- Revitalising the Management of Social Transformations Programme (MOST), which brings together academics and decision-makers to improve public policies aimed at tackling inequalities and other trends impacting our societies, including the organization of the first editions of the MOST Forum. Meaningful progress has been made with the first collaboration with the EU's DG Reform and EU member states implementing structural reforms that promote sustainable development, strengthen governance and ensure the ethical responsible use of emerging technologies like AI.[30] Furthermore, she led the establishment of the UNESCO MOST-BRIDGES Coalition, which brings humanities, social sciences and indigenous knowledge together in a multidisciplinary fashion to look at how to advance behavioral change for the crucial climate transition ahead of us.[31]

Other activities

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  • Member of the Steering Committee of the Paris Peace Forum.[3]
  • Member of the Steering Committee of the Lancet COVID-19 Commission and the Lancet Commission on Gender-Based Violence and Maltreatment of Young People.[3]
  • Member of the G7 Gender Equality Advisory Council (GEAC).[3][32]

Recognition and awards

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In 2013, she was awarded the Order of Merit in the Chevalier degree by the French President, François Hollande.[33]

She received the 2017 Forbes Awards for Excellence in Management.[34] Apolitical listed her among the 100 most significant figures in gender politics.[33][35]

References

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  1. ^ Salvatierra, Hugo (2017-06-29). "Gabriela Ramos, una sherpa en el ascenso a la equidad". Forbes México (in Mexican Spanish). Retrieved 2022-10-11.
  2. ^ "Gabriela Ramos | UNESCO Inclusive Policy Lab". en.unesco.org. Retrieved 2022-10-11.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Social and Human Sciences Sector - Who's Who (Gabriela Ramos)". UNESCO. 2020-12-17. Retrieved 2022-10-11.
  4. ^ "Gabriela Ramos". ID4D. Retrieved 2022-10-11.
  5. ^ a b Azoulay, Audrey (2020). "Assistant Director-General for Social and Human Sciences (SHS)". UNESDOC. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  6. ^ Gabriela Ramos [@gabramosp] (June 02, 2024)https://x.com/gabramosp/status/1797324094553108964
  7. ^ https://conferenciamujer.cepal.org/14/es/gabriela-ramos
  8. ^ "OECD (2016), OECD Reviews of Health Systems: Mexico 2016, OECD Reviews of Health Systems, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264230491-en". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help); External link in |title= (help)
  9. ^ OECD (2004), The PISA 2003 Assessment Framework: Mathematics, Reading, Science and Problem Solving Knowledge and Skills, PISA, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264101739-en).
  10. ^ https://www.oecd.org/en/topics/well-being-and-beyond-gdp.html#introduction
  11. ^ https://web-archive.oecd.org/espanol/index.htm
  12. ^ https://www.oecd.org/en/about/programmes/naec.html
  13. ^ https://www.lopinion.fr/economie/avec-business-for-inclusive-growth-les-entreprises-changent-dechelle-dans-laction-solidaire-gabriela-ramos
  14. ^ (OECD (2018), Opportunities for All: A Framework for Policy Action on Inclusive Growth, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264301665-en).
  15. ^ https://www.oecd.org/en/about/members-partners/oecd-and-enlargement.html
  16. ^ https://legalinstruments.oecd.org/en/instruments/oecd-legal-0398
  17. ^ https://gabrielailianramos.wordpress.com/2018/11/13/opening-remarks-at-the-womens-economic-empowerment-forum-2018/
  18. ^ https://www.forbes.com/sites/deborahtalbot/2018/06/11/oecd-report-puts-small-business-at-the-heart-of-equality-strategies/
  19. ^ https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/docserver/observer-v2010-6-en.pdf?expires=1733230626&id=id&accname=guest&checksum=CC3271BB2300BE7C64425C60ED43F449#page=54
  20. ^ https://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/publications/reports/2013/09/oecd-observer-volume-2013-issue-2_g1g400e6/observer-v2013-2-en.pdf
  21. ^ https://www.g20.in/en/docs/2014/brisbane_g20_leaders_summit_communique14.pdf
  22. ^ https://www.jef.or.jp/journal/pdf/211th_Cover_06.pdf
  23. ^ https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/docserver/9789264278011-en.pdf?expires=1733225478&id=id&accname=guest&checksum=5041507FD0492A4418852FF725BAAD8C
  24. ^ https://www.oecd.org/en/topics/climate-finance-and-the-usd-100-billion-goal.html
  25. ^ La-Lista, Redacción (2021-03-08). "Agente de cambio excepcional: Gabriela Ramos". La Lista (in Mexican Spanish). Retrieved 2022-10-11.
  26. ^ https://www.linkedin.com/posts/gabramosp_aipolicyleader-ai-caidp-activity-7181687482478927872-ywTm/
  27. ^ https://femmesdinfluence.fr/le-prix-de-la-femme-dinfluence-2024/
  28. ^ https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000390399
  29. ^ "Gabriela Ramos - Agenda Contributor". World Economic Forum. Retrieved 2022-10-11.
  30. ^ https://www.linkedin.com/posts/gabramosp_unesco-europeancommission-ai-activity-7264668773213691904-8xnV?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_ios
  31. ^ https://bridges.earth/
  32. ^ "G7 Gender Equality Advisory Council has started its work | G7 Germany 2022". G7 Germany 2022: Germany takes over G7 Presidency. 27 June 2022. Retrieved 2022-10-11.
  33. ^ a b "Gabriela Ramos, OECD Chief of Staff and Sherpa to the G20 - OECD". www.oecd.org. Retrieved 2022-10-11.
  34. ^ Forbes Staff (2017-06-20). "Gabriela Ramos recibe el premio a la Excelencia Empresarial Forbes 2017". Forbes México (in Mexican Spanish). Retrieved 2022-10-11.
  35. ^ "The World's 100 Most Influential People in Gender Policy". Apolitical. Retrieved 2022-10-11.
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