Search Results - Moreno Pino, Ismael

Ismael Moreno Pino

Ismael Moreno Pino (15 February 1927 – 15 August 2013) was a lawyer, diplomat, scholar, and author recognized for his role in negotiating the Tlatelolco Treaty, which established Latin America as the first inhabited region of the planet free of nuclear weapons. He worked closely with Alfonso García Robles, who later received the Nobel Peace Prize for their joint efforts, and was praised by UN Secretary-General U Thant. A career ambassador between 1964 and 1992, he represented Mexico in Berlin, Amsterdam, Santiago de Chile, Caracas, Lima, and Santo Domingo, as well as before the Organization of American States in Washington, D.C., and the United Nations in both New York and Geneva. He was also a member of the administrative council of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague. Ismael Moreno Pino was the maternal grandson of José María Pino Suárez, the 7th Vice President of Mexico and a key figure in the early stages of the Mexican Revolution.

Born in Mérida, Yucatán, into a prominent family, he was educated at the American School Foundation in Mexico City. He earned a Law degree from the UNAM and later obtained bachelor's and master's degrees in International Relations from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. He joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1951, working closely with intellectuals such as Octavio Paz and Jorge Castañeda. During the early 1960s, he served as Assistant Secretary for International Organization Affairs and Undersecretary for Multilateral Affairs, helping shape Mexico's position on major Cold War events, such as the Cuban Revolution and the Missile Crisis. As Ambassador to Chile, he witnessed the 1970 presidential election and the challenges faced by the Allende administration. Later, as Ambassador to West Germany, he played a pivotal role in the historic decision to extend diplomatic recognition to East Germany in January 1973, making Mexico one of the first countries in the Americas to do so, well over a year before the United States followed suit under the Ford Administration. This move aligned with Willy Brandt's ''Ostpolitik'' and strengthened Mexico's autonomous foreign policy during the Cold War.

In 1982, President López Portillo granted him the title of ''embajador eminente'', a distinction legally reserved for only ten career ambassadors in recognition for their exceptional service. In 1990, he was knighted by Beatrix, Queen of the Netherlands, who awarded him the Grand Cross of the Order of Orange-Nassau. His work also earned him numerous honors from other foreign governments, including those of Brazil, Chile, Germany, Japan, Peru, the Republic of China, Venezuela, and Yugoslavia. Upon his retirement in 1992, he held the position of doyen of the Mexican Foreign Service. Among his publications, his book ''Diplomacy: Theoretical and Practical Aspects'' became a seminal reference for generations of Latin American diplomats. Provided by Wikipedia