Ambassador Maria Laura da Rocha

Maria Laura da Rocha was born on September 26, 1955, in Rio de Janeiro, to Arthur Verissimo da Rocha and Laura Martins da Rocha. She is married to Sandro Melaranci and has two daughters, Elisa Melaranci and Marina Melaranci.

She joined the Diplomatic Career Preparatory Course at the Rio Branco Institute in 1976, when she was still in the third year of the National Faculty of Law (UFRJ, 1974-1976).

She began her diplomatic career as a Third Secretary on October 6, 1978.

On June 16, 2000, she passed the Advanced Studies Course (CAE) at the Rio Branco Institute by presenting her thesis “Diplomacy, Technology and Defense: Itamaraty and the international attraction of sensitive technology to the aerospace sector”.

She was promoted to First Class Minister (Ambassador) on June 18, 2008.

In Brazil, Maria da Laura da Rocha held the following positions: Assistant to the Head of the Human Resources Division and Executive Coordinator of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Administration Department (1978-1981); Assistant Director General of Administration at the Presidency of the Republic (1991-1992); Executive Coordinator at the General Undersecretariat for the Foreign Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1992-1993); Chief of Staff to the Secretary for Strategic Affairs at the Presidency of the Republic and to the Minister of Special Projects (1995-1999); Chief of Staff to the Minister of Science and Technology; and Interim Minister of State (1999-2002); Secretary for Diplomatic Planning at the Itamaraty (2008); Chief of Staff to the Minister of Foreign Affairs (2008-2010); Secretary General of Foreign Affairs (2023 - ).

While abroad, she served as Second Secretary at the Embassy in Rome (1981-1985); Second and First Secretary at the Embassy in Moscow (1985-1989); First Secretary at the Embassy in Rome; (1992-1995); Minister-Counselor at the Embassy in Paris (2003 - 2008); Permanent Delegate of Brazil to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) (2011-2014); Representative of Brazil to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) (2014-2017); Ambassador to Hungary (2017-2020), and Ambassador to Romenia (2020 – 2022).

Maria Laura has received the following decorations: Medal for Merit Santos Dumont (Brazil), the Merito della Repubblica Italiana (Officer), the Peacemaker Medal (Brazil); the Order of Aeronautical Merit (Commander); the Order of Scientific Merit (Commander); the Order of Military Merit (Commander); the Order of Naval Merit (Commander); the Order of Aeronautical Merit (Grand Officer); the Order of Defense Merit (Grand Officer), the Order of Rio Branco (Grand Cross), the Ordre National du Mérite (France).