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Archive -Seychelles

Club de Madrid makes alleviation of poverty and climate change issue top priorities for a better world |16 December 2013

Le Club de Madrid, the worldwide leadership alliance comprising 92 former democratic heads of States and government, has called on the twenty most powerful financial nations in the world (G20) to make the alleviation of property and the issue of climate change top priorities when they meet in Brisbane, Australia under the leadership of the Australian government in November 2014.

The call came at the end of the Club’s general assembly and annual conference held from December 7-9 at the Coolum Resort close to the city of Brisbane in Australia.

The report was presented to the representative of the Australian G20 secretariat by the newly elected President of Le Club de Madrid, Vaira Vike Freiberga, President of Latvia (1999-2007), who was elected to office following the retirement of Wim Kok, former Prime Minister of the Netherlands (1994-2002) who had been the President of Le Club de Madrid for almost ten years.

Earlier the general assembly had ratified the incorporation of three new members - Felipe Calderon, former President of Mexico; Alain Juppé, former Prime Minister of France and Sir James R.
Mancham, founding President of Seychelles. '

“I would like to join Prime Minister Kok in welcoming these three new members of the Club. We look forward to work closely with them and to incorporate their insights and vast experience as we seek to accomplish our mission," said Carlos Westendorp, the secretary general of the Club and a former Minister for Foreign Affairs of Spain.

In his maiden address to the Club, former President Mancham said that often leaders not in office and leaders not seeking office are in his view better moral arbiters on “global issues” by being able to state their views conscientiously - not influenced by geopolitical considerations and/or political pressure.

Members who actively took part in this year’s convocation were Jenny M. Shipley, Prime Minister of New Zealand (1997-1999); Chandrika Kumaratunga, President of Sri Lanka (1994-2005); Ricardo Lagos Escobar, President of Chile (2000 - 2006); Alejandro Toledo, President of Peru (2001-2006); Benjamin Mkapa, President of Tanzania (1995-2005); Kjell Magne Bondevik, Prime Minister of Norway (1997-2000); Olusegun Obasanjo, former President of Nigeria (1976-1979) and then again (1999-2007) and Clive Palmer, President of the World Economic Council, an Australian magnet and philanthropist who had generously hosted this year’s Le Club de Madrid’s conference at his exclusive five-star plus resort.

 

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