Antonio Maria Costa (born 16 June 1941) is an Italian economist. He lives in Vienna and Brussels.
From May 2002 to August 2010 Costa served as an Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations to the positions of executive director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and Director-General of the United Nations Office in Vienna (UNOV). Costa was the first to hold this double tenure for two consecutive 4-year mandates.
Before this, Costa was Secretary General of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) from 1994 to 2002 and EU Director General for Economics and Finance (DGII) at the European Union from 1987 to 1992.
Costa is currently editor-in-chief of the Journal of Policy Modelling.
Background
An Italian native, Costa was born on June 16, 1941. He holds a: Degree in political science from the University of Turin (1963); Degree in mathematical economics from the Moscow State University (1967); and Ph.D. in economics from the University of California, Berkeley (1971).
His career history is as follows: 1963 to 1964: Professor of Economics at the Moscow University (MGU, USSR) and at the Academy of Sciences of the USSR (Moscow) 1968 to 1970: Adjunct Professor of Economics, University of California at Berkeley (USA) 1969 to 1983: Senior economist in the United Nations Department of International Economics and Social Affairs. 1970 to 1976: Professor of Economics, the City University of New York (USA) 1976 to 1987: Professor of Economics, New York University (USA) 1983 to 1987: Under-Secretary-General at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). 1987 to 1992: Director-General for Economics and Finance at the European Commission. 1990 to 1994: Visiting Professor at the Free University of Brussels (ULB, Belgium) 1992 to 2002: Secretary-General of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). 2002 to 2010: Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and Director-General of the United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV).
Tenure at UNODC
Costa served as executive director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and Director-General of The United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV) for two consecutive periods from 2002 to 2008. On behalf of the Secretary General of the United Nations, Costa carried out the administrative and managerial responsibilities for the smooth functioning of the biggest UN campus in Europe, resulting in a massive renovation and a large scale expansion.
As Executive Director Costa was in charge of UNODC's drug control program, i.e. assisting countries to contain the drug problem as to supply (production) and demand (addiction), as well as fighting illicit trafficking.
The UNODC also runs a crime control program to assist countries to implement the UN Conventions against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) and the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), as well as three protocols (against trafficking of human beings, smuggling of migrants and trading of illicit arms).
During his tenure, Costa focused his attention on integrating the activities of the Office into the peace, security and development agenda of the United Nations. He did this through an interrelated and interdisciplinary approach as well as through developing partnership with other international organizations.
The activities of the United Nations in the fields of drug control, transnational crime prevention and combating terrorism were expanded considerably, the UNODC being at the centre of these activities. In addition, the Office also acted as secretariat for several international conventions such as the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) and its Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNCTOC) that entered into force in the last decade.