Luiz Carlos da Costa
Luiz Carlos da Costa | |
|---|---|
| Principal Deputy Special Representative, United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti | |
| In office 15 November 2006 – 12 January 2010 | |
| Succeeded by | Anthony Banbury (acting) |
| Deputy Special Representative for Operations and Rule of Law, United Nations Mission in Liberia | |
| In office September 2005 – November 2006 | |
| Director of Administration, United Nations Mission in Kosovo | |
| In office November 2002 – June 2003 | |
| Director of Administration, United Nations Mission in Kosovo | |
| In office July 2000 – August 2001 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 4 June 1949 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| Died | 12 January 2010 (aged 60) Hotel Christopher, Port-au-Prince, Haiti |
| Spouse | Cristina da Costa |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | New York University (MA, 1978) |
| Occupation | International Civil Servant (United Nations) |
Luiz Carlos da Costa (4 June 1949 – 12 January 2010) was an international civil servant working for the United Nations.
Originally from Brazil, da Costa joined the United Nations in 1969 and stayed with the organization for the remainder of his life. His last assignment was as the Principal Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Haiti and second in command of the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH). He died together with his superior, Tunisian Hédi Annabi, in the 2010 Haiti earthquake. On 18 January 2010, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and several high-ranking UN officials traveled from New York to Port-au-Prince to see the devastation firsthand. Mr. Ban hosted a small memorial service with both men's families at the airport in Port-au-Prince.
Costa was the highest ranking Brazilian in the United Nations. After Costa's death, he was described by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon as "a legend of UN peacekeeping operations" and "a mentor to generations of UN staff". Due to his nationality and prominence in the UN hierarchy, Costa had been compared to Sérgio Vieira de Mello, who was also killed during a peacekeeping mission in Iraq along with 20 other members of his staff in August 2003.
Costa received his M.A. in international business and political science from New York University in 1978. As of 2006, he was married with two children.