Carmen Montón

Carmen Montón Giménez (born 9 March 1976) is a Spanish politician currently serving as ambassador permanent observer of Spain to the Organization of American States since 2020.

A member of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), she served as Minister of Health, Consumer Affairs and Social Welfare under Pedro Sánchez and as Head of the Department of Universal Health and Public Health of the Valencian government under Ximo Puig.

Biography and career Politics in Valencia and Congress of Deputies Born on 9 March 1976 in Burjassot, Montón is married with one child, and studied medicine and became involved in the youth wing of the PSOE.

Minister of Health She was chosen by Pedro Sánchez, new Spanish Prime Minister, following the motion of censure that the PSOE presented against the previous government of Mariano Rajoy (PP) and that was approved by the Congress of Deputies on 1 June 2018, appointed her as Minister in new Spanish government. Felipe VI sanctioned by royal decree of June her appointment as holder of the portfolio of Minister of Health, Consumer Affairs and Social Welfare. On 7 June she took office as Minister before the King at Palace of Zarzuela.

Ambassador Permanent Observer to the OAS (2020 – present) Since 2020, Carmen Montón has served as the Ambassador Permanent Observer of Spain to the Organization of American States (OAS) and international organizations such as the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), where she has contributed to promoting gender equality and public health policies in the region.

In 2023, she joined PAHO’s High-Level Commission on Mental Health and COVID-19 in the Americas. This commission produced the report A New Agenda for Mental Health in the Americas, which analyzes the impact of the pandemic on mental health in the region and proposes concrete recommendations for its improvement.

In 2024, she worked closely with the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM), actively participating in several initiatives aimed at strengthening gender parity in public life. She was part of the drafting committee for the Inter-American Model Law on Parity in Public and Political Life, an initiative led by CIM. This law seeks to establish binding regional standards to ensure equitable representation of women at all levels of political decision-making, with particular emphasis on branches of government and judicial systems. As part of this project, she also took part in CIM’s initiative on women’s leadership, "Romper el Molde".

In addition, since 2022, Ambassador Montón has chaired the OAS Cultural Diplomacy Leadership Circle for the Art Museum of the Americas (AMA), a cultural diplomacy initiative that strengthens the museum’s role as a key space to promote the OAS's values through art.

Ambassador Montón has also promoted, from Spain’s Mission to the OAS, the creation of the Ñ Circle of Friendship for the Spanish Language at the OAS. Thanks to this initiative, on March 5, 2025, the OAS Permanent Council approved by acclamation the Declaration for the Inclusion of the Spanish Language as an Official Language of the International Court of Justice.