Antonio Maria Costa - Background

Background

An Italian native, Costa was born on June 16, 1941. He holds a:

• Degree in political science from the University of Turin (1963);
• Degree in mathematical economics from the Moscow State University (1967); and
• Ph.D. in economics from the University of California, Berkeley (1971).

His career history is as follows:

• 1969 to 1983: Senior economist in the United Nations Department of International Economics and Social Affairs.
• 1983 to 1987: Under-Secretary-General at the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
• 1987 to 1992: Director-General for Economics and Finance at the European Commission.
• 1992 to 2002: Secretary-General of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
• 2002 to 2010: Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and Director-General of the United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV).