Martin Palouš
Encyclopedia
Martin Palouš is the Permanent Representative
to the United Nations
for the Czech Republic
. He presented his credentials to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan
on 11 September 2006. Palouš is married to Pavla Paloušová and they have two children.
from Charles University in Prague. He has also studied philosophy
, social sciences
, and law. Currently, he just finished completing his doctoral thesis in 2010 in international law
at Masaryk University
in Brno
.
. He was elected to the Federal Assembly in 1990 and was then a member of its Foreign Affairs Committee.
Being one of the first signers of Charter 77
, he served as spokesman for the human rights
group. Palouš has also had an active academic career, holding a number of teaching positions, and also lectured at Northwestern University in the United States from 1993 to 1994.
Permanent Representative
A Permanent Representative is the head of a diplomatic mission to one of various international organisations. The best known of the organisations to which states send Permanent Representatives is the United Nations; of these, the most high-profile ones are those assigned to headquarters in New...
to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
for the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
. He presented his credentials to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan
Kofi Annan
Kofi Atta Annan is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the UN from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2006...
on 11 September 2006. Palouš is married to Pavla Paloušová and they have two children.
Education
Palouš has a Doctorate of Natural Sciences degree in chemistryChemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
from Charles University in Prague. He has also studied philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
, social sciences
Social sciences
Social science is the field of study concerned with society. "Social science" is commonly used as an umbrella term to refer to a plurality of fields outside of the natural sciences usually exclusive of the administrative or managerial sciences...
, and law. Currently, he just finished completing his doctoral thesis in 2010 in international law
International law
Public international law concerns the structure and conduct of sovereign states; analogous entities, such as the Holy See; and intergovernmental organizations. To a lesser degree, international law also may affect multinational corporations and individuals, an impact increasingly evolving beyond...
at Masaryk University
Masaryk University
Masaryk University is the second largest university in the Czech Republic, a member of the Compostela Group and the Utrecht Network. Founded in 1919 in Brno as the third Czech university , it now consists of nine faculties and 42,182 students...
in Brno
Brno
Brno by population and area is the second largest city in the Czech Republic, the largest Moravian city, and the historical capital city of the Margraviate of Moravia. Brno is the administrative centre of the South Moravian Region where it forms a separate district Brno-City District...
.
Career
Palouš was the Czech Republic Ambassador to the United States prior to taking office at the United Nations. His other diplomatic and political appointments include the Czech Republic’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Czechoslovakia. He was also a founding member of the Civic ForumCivic Forum
The Civic Forum was a political movement in the Czech part of Czechoslovakia, established during the Velvet Revolution in 1989...
. He was elected to the Federal Assembly in 1990 and was then a member of its Foreign Affairs Committee.
Being one of the first signers of Charter 77
Charter 77
Charter 77 was an informal civic initiative in communist Czechoslovakia from 1976 to 1992, named after the document Charter 77 from January 1977. Founding members and architects were Václav Havel, Jan Patočka, Zdeněk Mlynář, Jiří Hájek, and Pavel Kohout. Spreading the text of the document was...
, he served as spokesman for the human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
group. Palouš has also had an active academic career, holding a number of teaching positions, and also lectured at Northwestern University in the United States from 1993 to 1994.