DILI, 21 July 2025 (TATOLI) — Angolan Ambassador Maria de Fátima Monteiro Jardim was elected Executive Secretary of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) during the 15th Conference of Heads of State and Government, held on 18 July 2025 in Bissau.
The signing ceremony of the Term of Office for CPLP Executive Secretary, Fátima Jardim, marking the start of her two-year mandate, took place during the 15th Conference of Heads of State and Government.
Jardim replaced Zacarias da Costa, who held the position since 2021.
“After Ambassador Fátima Jardim was nominated by the Angolan government, the CPLP Council of Ministers formally recommended her for the role of Executive Secretary during the 15th Conference of Heads of State and Government, in line with the procedures outlined in the organization’s statutes,” said in a statement.
Jardim is committed to strengthening cooperation among member states and accelerating the implementation of the CPLP Strategic Vision 2016–2026, which guides the bloc’s efforts in political-diplomatic coordination, economic cooperation, and the promotion of the Portuguese language.
She held the position of Angola’s ambassador to Italy until March of this year.
She served as Minister of Fisheries from 1992 to 1996 in Angola’s Government of Unity and National Reconciliation. From 1996 to 2002, she held the combined role of Minister of Fisheries and Environment. Later, between 2008 and 2015, she focused solely on the environment as Minister of the Environment.
In 2015, she represented Angola and the Least Developed Countries at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 21), where the Paris Agreement was negotiated.
Between 2003 and 2008, Maria de Fátima Jardim served as a member of Angola’s National Assembly.
Journalist: Camilio de Sousa
Editor: Filomeno Martins
