Óscar Arias Sánchez, the former President of the Republic of Costa Rica, was born in the town of Heredia in Costa Rica on September 13th 1940, in the bosom of a family of coffee farmers.

After studying Economics and Law at the University of Costa Rica, he went to London in 1967 with a grant from the British Government to study Political Science at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Whilst in England he also studied at the University of Essex.
He returned to Costa Rica in 1969 to write up his doctoral thesis on the social and economic origins of Costa Rican political leaders and their role in executive, legislative and judicial powers, thereby earning his doctorate in Political Science.

He won the National Essay Writing Award in 1970 and taught at the University of Costa Rica before being appointed by President José Figueres to the post of Minister for National Planning and Economic Policy. During his mandate, he laid the foundations of what was to become the National Development Plan for Costa Rica.

In 1974, President Daniel Oduber appointed Arias Minister for Planning, and in 1978 he was elected Member of Parliament, retaining his seat until May 1981, when he gave up his certificate of election so as to be able to play an active part in the election campaign as a candidate for his National Liberation Party.

On 2nd February 1986, Óscar Arias again ran in the elections and was elected President of the Republic of Costa Rica, polling almost 55% of votes.

Under his presidency, Costa Rica placed particular emphasis on its relations with Europe, striving to further develop the role of the European Economic Community in Central America across the board. At the regional level, in February 1987 Costa Rica made a peace proposal to the Presidents of Guatemala, Vinicio Cerezo, of El Salvador, José Napoleón Duarte, and of Honduras, José Azcona Hoyo, at a meeting held in San José.

In May 1987, Arias visited Madrid to expound his peace plan and curry Spanish support, when King Juan Carlos bestowed the Chain of the Order of Isabel la Católica on him. In July that same year, Arias toured every Central American country to enlist support for his proposals to bring peace to the region, also delivering a speech to the United States Congress in September with this same aim in mind. Arias' proposals led to an agreement signed by the five Central American presidents in Esquipulas (Guatemala) on 7th August 1987, known as the 'Esquipulas Plan'. The agreement opened the way to setting up National Commissions in each of the five republics involved (Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Costa Rica) to oversee that the plan was being implemented in real terms, and to guarantee full respect for the civil and political rights of the Central American people in their entirety.

Recognition of Arias' efforts to bring peace to Central America culminated in October 1987 when he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

During his mandate, Óscar Arias made speeches to the United Nations' General Assembly on several occasions, and also took part in many international forums on economic and social development. Rafael Calderón, of the conservative party, who won the 1980 general elections, succeeded him as President of Costa Rica.