César Tomás Arce Rivas
Born in 1954. National of Paraguay. Retired General Director, Office of National and International Cooperation and Institutional Strengthening of the National Anti-Drug Secretariat (2012-2020); Professor of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences (since 1993).
Doctorate, Forensic Chemistry, Institute of Forensic Sciences, Center for Forensic Medicine, University of Vienna (1988-1990); Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences, National University of Asuncion (1971-1975).
Previously held positions as Deputy Executive Secretary, National Anti-Drug Secretariat (2008-2012); Laboratory Director, National Anti-Drug Secretariat (1987-2007); Professor of Organic Chemistry I and II, Catholic University, Ciudad del Este, Paraguay (1996-2008); Intern, Laboratories of the German Federal Police (1990).
Author and co-author of, and contributor to numerous publications including: Drug Policy, Strategy and Action Plan on Drugs of Paraguay (2016); Study of the interrelation of cannabinoids in Marijuana and determination of the storage and harvest time of a marijuana sample, by means of the cannabinoid relation.
Member of the Paraguayan delegation to the 60th session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (2017); Meeting of Control and Drug Administration Organizations for the implementation of Prevention and Treatment Courses and the Strengthening of Health Systems, CICAD-OAS, Cancun, Mexico, 2017; 12th Specialized Meeting of Drug Enforcement Authorities, Mercosur, Buenos Aires (2017); Preparatory meeting of the Special Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations on the World Drug Problem (UNGASS). Vienna-Austria, 2016; UNGASS New York, 2016; Bi-Regional High-Level Meetings on the Problem of Drugs EU-CELAC (European Community-Community of Latin and Caribbean States), in Buenos Aires (2017), The Hague (2016), Montevideo (2015), Athens (2014), and Brussels (2012); South American Council on the World Drug Problem, UNASUR, Asunción (2012) (President pro tempore); Specialized Meeting of Drug Enforcement Authorities, Mercosur, Asunción (2015 and 2009) (President pro tempore); 24th Meeting of Heads of National Drug Law Enforcement Agencies (HONLEA) Latin America and the Caribbean, Asunción, 2014 (Chair); International Meeting of Executives for the control of precursors and essential chemical substances, Santiago (1998); 10th and 15th to 17th International Seminars of Forensic Chemistry, Drug Enforcement Administration, Washington D.C. (1987-1995); Meeting of Auditors and Evaluators of the Control of Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances in Public Health, Santiago (1992).
Member of the International Narcotics Control Board (since 2020) [1]. Member of the Standing Committee on Estimates (2020-2021). Second Vice-President and Chair of the Standing Committee on Estimates (2022). First Vice-President (2023).
[1] Elected by the Economic and Social Council on 7 May 2019; re-elected by the Council for a five-year term (2025-2030) on 9 April 2024.