Miosotis Rivas Peña, the local economist who took on the challenge of organizing the National Statistics Office and was in charge of the 2021 National Census, was chosen to direct the Caribbean Subregional Headquarters of the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), based in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. She begins her new responsibilities on 2 June 2025. She replaces Diane Quarless who had been director of the division since 2011.
With over 25 years of experience in public policy, international organizations, and applied research, Rivas Peña steps into this crucial role at a pivotal moment for the Caribbean region. From her new position, she will lead the coordination of studies, technical advisory services, and strategic cooperation that ECLAC provides to its 16 member states and 13 associate members in the Caribbean, including the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Barbados, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico.
Prior to her appointment, Rivas Peña had served as the director general of the National Office of Statistics (ONE) of the Dominican Republic for nearly five years, where she spearheaded a profound institutional transformation. Her leadership fostered a new narrative about the role of data in society, positioning it as a key tool for social change, citizen empowerment, knowledge management, and evidence-based policy formulation.
Under her guidance, ONE achieved operational maturity, successfully executing the X National Population and Housing Census 2022, the country’s first digital census. She also solidified the National Statistical System by promoting quality management in statistical processes, leading to the development of important regulations and methodologies, fostering inter-institutional articulation, and strengthening the technical capacity of statistics-producing entities.
Rivas Peña also championed a statistical literacy agenda, launching educational campaigns and forging alliances with universities, media, and social organizations. She further promoted a policy of data democratization and innovation. Her efforts led to the internationalization of ONE, establishing key partnerships with national statistical institutes across the region and globally, as well as with institutions like UN Women, GPSDD, PARIS21, UNFPA, UNICEF, and ECLAC itself, where she presided over the Statistical Conference of the Americas. In these international forums, she was known for promoting women’s leadership and a human rights approach in the production and use of official data, positioning ONE as a global benchmark.
“I have no doubt that this institution has reached cruising speed, so it can be put on autopilot,” she expressed emotionally as she bid farewell to the ONE team in Santo Domingo.
A graduate in Economics from INTEC, Rivas Peña holds two master’s degrees: one in Economic Policy from the National University of Costa Rica and another in Gender and Development from INTEC. She also has a master’s in Human Development from the University of the Andes, Colombia.
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Noticias SIN
28 May 2025