Structure

President

Joško Klisović was born on 26 August 1968 in Zagreb, Croatia. He graduated from the School of Law (University of Zagreb, Croatia) in 1992 and holds a Master’s Degree in International Relations (Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies, Malta).

After having worked as a lawyer in a private trade company, he enters the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1994. In 1997 he is posted as counselor to the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Croatia to the United Nations, where he follows the work of the Security Council and represents Croatia in the Legal Committee of the UN General Assembly, and all its subcommittees and working bodies, such as the ad hoc Committee on Suppression of Terrorism and Preparatory Commission on the International Criminal Court, etc. In 1999 he is elected as Vice Chairman of the Special Committee on the UN Charter and the Strengthening of the Role of the Organisation, and as Rapporteur of the Legal Committee of the UN General Assembly. In 2000 he is elected as Vice Chairman of the 10th Meeting of the Sates Parties to the UN Convention on Law of the Sea.

After his return to Zagreb in 2001, he heads the UN and Human Rights Department and later the Political Analysis and Planning Department before being posted to Croatia’s Mission to NATO as Deputy Head in 2004. In 2006 he is promoted to the diplomatic rank of Ambassador and works first as Chief of Staff to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, and later as Secretary of Croatia’s Negotiating Team for leading accession negotiations with the EU.

In 2008 he takes on the post of Secretary General of Atlantic Group, leading distributor of consumer goods and one of the fastest-growing business groups in South East Europe.

He presides over the Croatian United Nations Association since December 2008.

 

Vice-president

Irena Pereša was born on 5 March 1984 in Pula, Croatia. She graduated from the Law School of the University of Zagreb.

During her studies her interests focus on International Law and International Relations, and she participates in numerous educational programmes related to this field. After participating in the Cairo International Model United Nations, she joins a group of students – organizers of the first Zagreb International Model United Nations. While developing an interest in specific UN topics, she completes an internship in UNDP Croatia, Social Inclusion Programme. Within the ‘Making Commitments Matter’ Initiative, she is leader of the Croatian Team and member of its Working Group for civil society research.

She is a co-founder of Croatian United Nation Association, where she holds the position of Vice-president.

Ana Brnčić was born in Rijeka, Croatia, in 1975. She holds a BA in Psychology from the University of Rijeka and an MA in Contemporary European Studies from Sussex University (UK), where she graduated with distinction in 2001. 

She started her career in the local administration of the City of Opatija, where she worked from 1998 - 2001 as head of a WHO project – Opatija Healthy City. She joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration in 2002, after completing the MA studies in the UK, and held a number of positions within the institution: Information and Communication Officer for European integration (2002-2004), Head of Office of the State Secretary for European Integration (2004-2006), Deputy Chief of Staff to the Minister (2006-2008), and Head of Section for the Monitoring and Coordination of the EU Negotiation Process (2008-2009). Since March 1, 2009, she works as Compliance Officer in T-HT Group, the leading telecommunication company in Croatia.

She has been elected to the position of Vice-president of UNA Croatia in November 2009.

General secretary

Gordana Garašić was born on 25 May, 1970 in Zagreb, Croatia. She graduated from the School of Law (University of Zagreb, Croatia) in 1994 and passed the Bar Exam in 2006.

She also attended numerous courses and seminars in the USA, UK, Austria, Czech Republic, Belgium etc. aimed at acquiring specialist military and legal knowledge and skills, including legal aspects of participating in peacekeeping missions and operations (LEGAD).

She started her career in 1994 at the Ministry of Internal Affairs and later joined the Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia. Among the numerous assignments and duties she performed throughout her career, it is worth emphasizing the position of Military Advisor she held from 2004 to 2008 in the Military Representation to NATO (Croatian Mission to NATO). She currently works at the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces and holds the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

She was decorated with Certificate of Participation in the Homeland War, Medal „Storm“, and a number of commendations for remarkable execution of duties from her superiors.

 

Supervisory board

Budimir Lončar currently performs the duty of Special Advisor to the President of the Republic of Croatia. He started his rich diplomatic career in the former Yugoslavia, where in the period from 1957 to 1964 he works as Special Advisor to the Federal Secretary for Foreign Affairs. He participated in numerous Non-Aligned Movement conferences, and chaired a number of them in the 1988 - 1991 period. He served as Ambassador of Yugoslavia to Indonesia, Germany and the USA. In 1984 he returns to SFRY, where he is appointed Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. Three years later he becomes Minister of Foreign Affairs and holds this post until the disintegration of former Yugoslavia in 1991. From 1993 to 1995 Mr. Lončar is appointed Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General to the Non-Aligned Movement. After leaving the UN, he performs advisor and consulting duties in various non-governmental organizations - Appeal of conscience Foundation, the World Council of Religious and Spiritual Leaders in New York, and the Center for Humanitarian Dialogue in Geneva.

 

Bruno Lopandić was born on 27 December 1969. He completed his secondary education in Zagreb and graduated journalism from the Faculty of Political Sciences, Zagreb, Croatia. From 1989 to 1993 he works as a correspondent for the Slovenian newspapers „Tribuna“ and „Republika“. In the period 1994 - 2000 he works at the foreign affairs desk for the daily newspaper „Slobodna Dalmacija“, with a focus on EU and NATO. In 1998 he becomes permanent correspondent of „Voice of America“, BBC world and the Croatian BBC service. In December 2000 he takes on the post of Editor in chief of the daily newspaper „Republika“, whereas in 2001 he becomes correspondent of the weekly magazine “Nacional”, and a year later of the daily newspaper “Vjesnik”. Due to his rich experience with European integration issues and frequent contacts with the Brussels administration, he is very well acquainted with the EU system, and regularly cooperates with EU officials as well as the diplomatic community in Zagreb and the region. He was awarded the first „Schuman journalists award“ in the region, established by the European Commission.

 

Ivica Kinder was born on 29 March 1967 in Zagreb. He completed his primary education in Dugo Selo and secondary education in Zagreb. He graduated from the Law School of the University of Zagreb in 1990, and obtained a Master's degree in international public and international private law from the same faculty in 1999. He also completed the Military-Diplomatic School of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Croatia, the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of the Republic of Croatia, the Command and General Staff College of the Croatian Armed Forces, as well as numerous other civil and military courses both in Croatia and abroad (inter alia, in the USA, United Kingdom, Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Argentina, China and Turkey). He participated in the Homeland War in Croatia and works with the Croatian Armed Forces' General Staff in the rank of Colonel. He has been decorated with the Homeland War Memorial Medal, the Homeland's Gratitude Memorial Medals for 5 and 10 years of distinguished service, the Order of the Croatian Pleter and the Order of the Croatian Trefoil. By appointment of the President of the Republic of Croatia, from 2002 to 2006 he works as the first-ever Croatian Military Adviser to the United Nations in New York. He wrote a dozen of scientific and expert articles in the field of international law and international relations.