News Releases

No. 113/07
November 13, 2007

EUROPEAN COMMISSION VICE PRESIDENT WALLSTRÖM TO CHAIR COUNCIL OF WOMEN WORLD LEADERS MINISTERIAL INITIATIVE

European Commission Vice President Margot Wallström, responsible for Institutional Relations and Communication Strategy, will visit the United States this week to accept a new role as Chair of the Council of Women World Leaders Ministerial Initiative − a position held by former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright since 2002.

"I am honoured to be asked to play such a role in a global network including so many wise and outstanding women," said Vice President Wallström.

The handover will occur on the occasion of the International Women Leaders Global Security Summit. The Council of Women World Leaders is a network of 36 current and former Prime Ministers and Presidents, which includes Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany; Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of Liberia; Helen Clark, Prime Minister of New Zealand; Tarja Halonen, President of Finland; Mary McAleese, President of Ireland; Vaira Vike-Freiberga, President of Latvia; and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, President of The Philippines.

The Council's Ministerial Initiative is dedicated to advancing democracy, gender equality and excellence in governance throughout the world by promoting ministerial level exchanges on global issues.

Its overall aims include providing a vehicle for highly-placed women leaders to have a collective voice on global issues and preparing, informing and shaping the agendas for United Nations meetings and other multilateral meetings and conferences.

Vice President Margot Wallström has had a long career in politics, including several Ministerial positions, since being elected to the Swedish Parliament in 1979 at the age of 25.

In 1999, she was appointed Member of the European Commission, under President Romano Prodi, responsible for European Union environmental policy. During her mandate she developed the EU strategy and action program for Sustainable Development and was also instrumental in concluding the ratification process of the Kyoto protocol.

For more information, please visit:

Council of Women World Leaders: http://www.womenworldleaders.org/ 

International Women Leaders Global Security Summit:
http://womenandglobalsecurity.org/index.php 

Margot Wallström: http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/wallstrom/ .
 

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