Kjell Magne Bondevik

Prime Minister of Norway (1997-2000, 2001-2005).

His political career began in 1968 when he became the deputy leader of the Christian Democratic Party. In 1970 he served as the leader of the party’s youth leadership organization. He served as a deputy member of Storting (Parliament of Norway) for the County of Møre og Romsdal (1969-1973), and has been a member of Storting since 1973.

He served as his party’s parliamentary leader from 1981-1983, 1986-1989, 1993-1997, and 2000-2001. National-level positions include performing as State Secretary at the Office of the Prime Minister during Lars Korvald’s government (1972-1973), Deputy for Prime Minister Willoch (1985-1986), Minister of Church and Education in Kåre Willoch’s government (1983-1986), and Minister of Foreign Affairs during the government of Jan P. Syse (1989-1990). Kjell Magne Bondevik was elected Prime Minister in 1997, in a coalition consisting of the Christian Democratic Party, the Centre Party and the Liberal Party. He was appointed Prime Minister again in October 2001 heading a coalition government between the Christian People’s Party, the Conservative Party and the Liberal Party. After retiring from national politics, he founded the Oslo Center for Peace and Human Rights, an organization which aims at strengthening its efforts to promote responsible leadership, in order prevent conflicts and strengthen democratic practice in fragile democracies. The Oslo Center has been working on the strengthening of the political party system in Kyrgyzstan.

Kim Campbell

Prime Minister of Canada (1993).

Ms. Campbell is a fellow of the Center for Public Leadership at the School of Government at Harvard University, Former Secretary General of the Club de Madrid and Former President of the International Women's Forum. Before taking office, she served as Minister of State for Indian Affairs and Northern Development (1989), Minister of Justice and Attorney General (1990), and Minister of National Defense and Veterans’ Affairs (1993). Ms. Campbell was the first and to date the only female Prime Minister of Canada. Ms. Campbell entered the London School of Economics in 1970 to study towards her doctorate in Soviet Government, and spent three months touring the Soviet Union, from April to June 1972. She had spent several years studying the Russian language, and was close to being fluent. After her experience in Government she has been involved in several democratic consolidation projects in the post-Soviet area in countries like Ukraine and Georgia.

Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga

President of Sri Lanka (1994-2005)

She entered mainstream politics in 1993 when elected Chief Minister of the Western Provincial Council. She was Prime Minister in 1994 after her party won the general elections. She convincingly won the October 1994 presidential elections to be elected the island’s 4th Executive President. Her campaign was built on ending corruption, good governance, a negotiated end to the ethnic crisis and peace acceptable to all communities. Days before being elected to her second term, she escaped a LTTE assassination attempt, however lost the use of her right eye. Her government developed much of the neglected Northern and Eastern districts. When the LTTE resumed its armed conflict, Ms. Kumaratunga urged the government forces to exercise caution and to minimize civilian casualties at all times. She was the only political leader to offer a political solution to the conflict. Her government offered power sharing in the form of extensive Devolution of Power to the Regions, including those inhabited by the minority communities. Her government implemented a successful economic development programme, which took the benefits of development to all sections of the population: Education, Health, Airport, Highways and Water Supply.

Petre Roman

Prime Minister of Romania (1989-1992).

Mr. Roman has tirelessly served the country of Romania in a variety of political roles. He was a founding member of the National Salvation Front and in 1989 became the first prime minister of the post-communist government, serving until 1991. In 1992 he became a member of the Chamber of Deputies where he chaired the Defence Committee. Subsequently, he served as a Senator and as Chairman of the Defence Committee from 1996 to 1999 and as the Minister of State and Foreign Affairs from 1999 to 2000. He also served as the chairman of the Democratic Party of Romania from 1993 to 2001. He was re-elected Senator in November of 2000 and continues to serve today. Mr. Roman also served as Special Rapporteur to the North Atlantic Assembly from 1993 to 1996, and as the Acting President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation from 1997 to 1998.

Vaira Vike-Freiberga

President of Latvia (1999-2007)

To escape the Soviet occupation, her family fled Latvia in 1945 and became refugees. In 1998, Dr. Freiberga returned to Latvia from exile in Canada to head the Latvian Institute, an organization devoted to promoting Latvian awareness abroad. A year later, in June 1999, she was elected President of Latvia. She was not a first-round candidate, but when the Latvian Parliament failed to elect a President in the first round of voting, Ms. Vaira-Freiberga was drafted as she was well-known and respected but not affiliated with any political parties. As Latvian President, Ms. Vaira-Freiberga is known for her role in Latvia’s NATO membership and its ascension to the European Union, which the country joined in 2004. She has actively exercised the powers conferred upon the President by the Constitution of the Republic of Latvia and also initiated a discussion to introduce compulsory voting in General Elections aiming to fully engage Latvian citizens in the political processes of the country. In April 2005, then United Nations Secretary-

General Kofi Annan named President Vaira-Freiberga as a member of his team of global political leaders helping to promote a comprehensive UN reform agenda. Ms. Vaira-Freiberga has been a Member of the Council of Women World Leaders since 1999.