Costa Rica's Global Vision: Sustainability, Innovation & New Opportunities

The NZIIA Wellington Branch is pleased to invite you to an upcoming event with His Excellency Manuel Tovar Rivera, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Costa Rica, including a keynote address, fireside chat and Costa Rican themed networking reception. As one of Latin America's most stable and outward-looking democracies, Costa Rica has established itself as a global leader in sustainability, environmental stewardship, innovation, and international cooperation.

Recent membership of the OECD and accession to the CPTPP have further strengthened Costa Rica's position as a trusted economic and political partner, connecting Latin America with the Asia-Pacific region. Minister Tovar will discuss Costa Rica's foreign policy priorities, its approach to trade, security, sustainability, innovation and opportunities for deeper collaboration with New Zealand.

Despite being located on opposite sides of the Pacific, Costa Rica and New Zealand share many common characteristics. Both are countries, with a population of five million, that have built international influence through strong democratic institutions, support for the rules-based international order, commitment to free trade, and leadership on environmental issues.

Both nations have also demonstrated how innovation, openness, and international engagement can underpin economic prosperity and global relevance. This is the first visit ever to Aotearoa New Zealand by a Costa Rican Foreign Minister and offers a unique opportunity to hear directly from Minister Tovar.

Following a fireside chat with the Chair of the NZIIA Wellington Branch and a short Q&A, there will be a networking reception commencing at 7pm. This reception, kindly sponsored by the Embassy of the Costa Rica, will include Costa Rican food and drinks and an expo stand providing information on Costa Rica.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS Registrations are required to attend this event as there is limited capacity. No walk ups allowed. Non members may attend by paying the registration fee. Full time students are entitled to free NZIIA Wellington student membership by first registering at https://www.nziia.org.nz/membership-form/ One ticket per person.

For security reasons each ticket must contain your full first name and surname (that matches your ID), email address and phone number. If, after registering, you are unable to attend please have the courtesy to cancel your ticket via Humantitix to enable others on the waiting list to attend.

In keeping with NZIIA practice, unauthorised recording of this event (either audio or video) is not permitted. Members and guests are reminded to adhere to the NZIIA Code of Conduct. BIOGRAPHY- HE Manuel Tovar Rivera Appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs as of May 8, 2026, Manuel Tovar previously served as Minister of Foreign Trade from May 2022 to May 2026, a period during which he led Costa Rica’s strategy for integration into the global economy and efforts to attract foreign direct investment.

During his tenure, the country strengthened its presence in international markets, concluded new trade agreements—including with Ecuador, the United Arab Emirates, and Israel—and advanced its accession to the CPTPP, DEPA, and ACCTS. He also drove sustained export growth and achieved record levels of foreign direct investment.

He also served as Chairman of PROCOMER, where he actively promoted export diversification and reinforced Costa Rica’s positioning as a competitive destination for investment. Throughout his public service career, he has held key positions in international trade policy, including Representative and Head of Costa Rica’s Delegation to the OECD (2016–2021) and Special Envoy to the OECD (2013–2015).

He led Costa Rica’s OECD accession process and was subsequently appointed the country’s high-level focal point to the organization. In June 2025, he chaired the OECD Ministerial Council Meeting. He also served as a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Trade and Investment (2023–2024) and participated in the World Economic Forum.

Mr. Tovar is also a recipient of the state decoration “Order of Merit, 2nd Class,” awarded by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. A lawyer by training, he holds a Master’s degree in International Law and International Relations from the Complutense University of Madrid and is currently a PhD candidate in Political Science at the University of Salamanca.

Manuel Tovar speaks Spanish, English, French, and Italian. He is married and has one daughter.