Ambassador Alfredo Labbé is a retired senior Chilean Diplomat, serving currently as Member and Vice-President of the International Humanitarian Fact Finding Commission (IFHHC, 2017-2021) and Professor at the National Academy for Political and Strategic Studies, Santiago. Born in Rancagua, Chile on June 3, 1950, he is married to Mrs. Mónica Rodríguez, lawyer. Ambassador Labbé read law at the University of Chile (Santiago) and the Pontifical Catholic Universities of Ecuador (Quito) and Perú (Lima); graduated at the “Andrés Bello” Diplomatic Academy, Santiago, Chile. Master’s in Military Science –Peacekeeping Operations– from the Chilean War Academy, Santiago.
In his 44 year career he served as Especial Envoy for Nuclear and International Security (2016-2018); Director General for Foreign Policy (equivalent to Permanent Secretary 2014-2016); Permanent Representative to the United Nations and the International Organisations in Vienna (2010-2014); Director for International and Human Security, from (2009-2010); Deputy Permanent Representative (DPR) to the United Nations, New York (2005-2008); DPR to the United Nations in Geneva (2001-2002) and DPR to the Conference on Disarmament, Geneva (2000-2002); Deputy Director for Special Political Affairs (1997); Head of the Disarmament and International Security Department (1996-1997); Chargé d’Affaires to the Syrian Arab Republic (1993-1996); DHM in Hungary (1990-1992); Head of the South American Department at the Directorate for Bilateral Policy (1989-1990) and Diplomatic Secretary at the Embassies of Chile in Perú, Nicaragua and Ecuador.
From May to September 2017 he headed a fact-finding Mission of IHFFC to Eastern Ukraine, by request of the Organisation on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
Along his career, Ambassador Labbé developed expertise in cultural, neighbouring and multilateral diplomacy. In 2017 he served as Deputy Head of the Chilean Delegation to the UN Conference negotiating the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons; serving as well as Vice-President and Facilitator to the President. Since 2005 he has been closely associated to the NPT Review process, serving as Deputy Head of the Chilean Delegation and Chair of Subsidiary Body III (2005 RC); Head of Delegation and Vice-Chair of Main Committee III (2010 RC) and Head of Delegation (High Level segment, 2015 RC). In 2010 he chaired the II Conference of the States Parties and Signatories to the Treaties establishing NWFZs. As Especial Envoy and Head of Delegation he represented Chile at the II and V Ministerial Conferences of the Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Initiative (NPDI, Berlin, 2011 and Hiroshima, 2014). In 2012 he was elected Chair of the Preparatory Commission of the Organisation for the Complete Test-Ban Treaty, CTBTO. From 2010 to 2012 he served as Governor of Chile to the IAEA’s Board of Governors. He also served as Presidential “Sherpa” for the I Nuclear Security Summit process (2009-2010) and Deputy Head of Delegation to the III NSS (2014). He was designated by the UN Secretary General as Member in the Panels/Groups of Governmental Experts on Nuclear Disarmament Verification (2018-2019), on Ammunition Stocks (2008) and on Missiles (2007). In 2006 he was elected Chair of the UNGA open-ended Working Group on the Fourth Special Session for Disarmament (SSOD-IV, New York, 2006-2007).
From 1996 he has worked continuously to develop and strengthen Humanitarian International Law and humanitarian-related Disarmament International Law, contributing -in different executive capacities- to the negotiation, universalisation and implementation processes of the Anti-Personnel Mines Ban (Ottawa) Convention, the Cluster Munition Ban (Oslo) Convention and the Arms Trade Treaty.
He now resides in Santiago.