Zur Karriere von Ciro Arévalo-Yepes

Which were the most important stations in your career? Professionally I have combined diplomatic and academic activities which considered a perfect match. I'm a jurist with different degrees of specialization on International Law (which I studied at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland and Los Andes/Colombia) and concurred many different academic events. Jorge Tadeo Lozano, University of Bogotá, designated me as Dean of the International Relations Postgraduate Faculty, which has an important achievement and honour. It was then the occasion to participate on the creation on different think-tanks on international relations. In my diplomatic career I started in the multilateral affairs in Geneva in the Colombian Mission to the United Nations. Then from 1987 until 1992 Consul General in Sydney and Dean of the Diplomatic corps to the Australian Government, it was the occasion of knowing the oceanic cultures of the Melanesian and Polynesian backgrounds and to work in bilateral matters. Since 1999 I work as a Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations in Vienna dealing particularly with atomic matters and international space law. As far as languages are concerned, I learned French in Switzerland, English in England and Australia and German in Germany and Austria. Spanish is my mother tongue.

Zum Erfolg von Ciro Arévalo-Yepes

How do you personally define success? Above all one has to differentiate what is success and then how to obtain it. Success is a subjective and relative concept that involves different factors: those depending on your main professional and personal goals and the capacity to accomplish them, and those dealing with your environment. In my opinion success has to be seen in a holistic approach, which connects your inner dimension with the outside world activities. In today's life one observes so many fractionate persons, partially achieving some kind of success and therefore not fully satisfied with their lives. One has to search for an integrating approach which, like a kaleidoscope, irradiates all the positive expression of your life given trust and confidence to your inner circle and therefore contributes to build a better society.
What were the decisive factors of your success? I have a very clear look on what is my past and my history. That helps a lot. Another fact is my vision about the positive aspects of international relationships, which you only can learn from the contact with many other diplomats.
What would you regard as more promising: originality of imitation? One has to avoid mixing imitation with the learning process based on past experiences. The accumulation of knowledge is based upon acute observation and has to be taken into account in order to avoid mistakes of the past. I believe that until the age of 35 one has to build patiently his own role model based upon his strengths and genuine ambitions. Only then your one is in a position to draft his roadmap or projet de vie for which you should work passionately with strong commitment. Then you can impregnate the whole with your own personal mark, known as originality. In my personal case as a diplomat I have to add a full devotion and dedication to my country. Serving it is not only a very serious responsibility but also a great honour.
Did anybody have a special influence on your career? In particular I admire Clemens Von Metternich for the significant role he played in reshaping Europe throughout his diplomatic skills and sharp intellect, the French philosopher Jean Jaques Rousseau for his perceptions on social and personal ethics and finally the Colombian thinker Nicolas Gómez Dávila for the brightness of his mind and irreverent observations on human behaviour.
How relevant are fellow employees? In all my professional life my colleagues played a substantial role. I consider that objectives achieved professionally are the result of well-proved mechanisms of hard working teams. It is an Esprit du Corps based on unity of purposes that creates the synergy necessary to team realization as well as for individuals. It is, in my particular case, also the result of the trust and empowerment given to me by my superiors during my entire diplomatic career.
Do you have any advice for the next generation? First advice: not to be afraid of reshaping former paradigms or create new ones. They may act like that not only for the sake of their generational contradictory behaviour but also to release their creativity potential and in doing so to honour the evolution of thought. That has to be well balanced with a respectful consideration of the human experience. Also to be aware that nothing can be achieved without effort. The sacred formula is ten percent of inspiration and ninety percent of transpiration. Finally I have to express my trust in the new generations. They have a much early perception of the role they could play individually, environmentally and globally. I personally observe that throughout Mateo, Gabriel and Felipe, my own children. I daily learn from their wisdom and love.
What are your goals for the future? In the future I want to intensify my work for the American und Colombian space activities, especially space laws.
Do you have a motto? My motto is to reach serenity.

Co-author of „Profile of the International Colombian Negotiator“ with Finnish and Colombian researchers, Promotor of a number of multilateral proposals relating to the Geostationary Orbit/Space Matters, Space and Society and Space and Education, Applications of Space Science and Technology in the Americans and its benefits for the Civil Society, Papers presented in a number of Fora relating to Capacity Building in Space Law.