Emília Pires was East Timor's Minister of Finance from April 2007 until 16 February 2015. Ms. Pires was sworn in as the Minister of Finance of the V Constitutional Government of East Timor on August 8, 2012 under the leadership of Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão. In July 2012, Ms. Pires was appointed by the Secretary-General of United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, to the 26-member High-level Panel of Eminent Persons advising the United Nations on the post 2015 global development agenda.