InterAction Council of Former Heads of State and Government
Encyclopedia
The InterAction Council of Former Heads of State and Government is an independent international organization designed to bring together former world leaders to mobilize their energy, experience and international contacts in an effort to develop and encourage change around the world.
Founded in 1983, this body meets on a regular basis, including annual meetings, and is composed of over 30 former world leaders. The organization and its members jointly develop recommendations on, and practical solutions for, the political, economic and social problems confronting the world. These efforts are focused on three main priority areas, notably peace and security, world economic revitalization and universal ethical standards. In Japan, Council meeting is also called OB summit.
Its most notable project has been the development of a Universal Declaration of Human Responsibilities, which was an attempt to develop a set of responsibilities that were shared by all individuals to counterbalance the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This new "Global Ethic" would provide a foundation of freedom, justice and peace in order for Universal Rights to be meaningful. These agreed values and standards complements Universal Rights, as the maximization of personal freedom at the expense of others, without consideration of others, is as problematic as having no rights at all.
The Council's 2010 Annual Plenary Meeting was held in Hiroshima
, Japan
from 18th to 20th April 2010.
, Sweden
. 20 young people from all over the world were invited to learn from and interact with former world leaders to build the leadership capacities of the young people chosen. The young leadership forum participants held their own seminars after the annual meeting, presenting papers on the themes of the annual meeting.
Founded in 1983, this body meets on a regular basis, including annual meetings, and is composed of over 30 former world leaders. The organization and its members jointly develop recommendations on, and practical solutions for, the political, economic and social problems confronting the world. These efforts are focused on three main priority areas, notably peace and security, world economic revitalization and universal ethical standards. In Japan, Council meeting is also called OB summit.
Its most notable project has been the development of a Universal Declaration of Human Responsibilities, which was an attempt to develop a set of responsibilities that were shared by all individuals to counterbalance the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This new "Global Ethic" would provide a foundation of freedom, justice and peace in order for Universal Rights to be meaningful. These agreed values and standards complements Universal Rights, as the maximization of personal freedom at the expense of others, without consideration of others, is as problematic as having no rights at all.
The Council's 2010 Annual Plenary Meeting was held in Hiroshima
Hiroshima
is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshu, the largest island of Japan. It became best known as the first city in history to be destroyed by a nuclear weapon when the United States Army Air Forces dropped an atomic bomb on it at 8:15 A.M...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
from 18th to 20th April 2010.
Members
- Takeo FukudaTakeo Fukudawas a Japanese politician and the 42d Prime Minister of Japan from December 24, 1976 to December 7, 1978.He was born in Gunma Prefecture and attended Tokyo Imperial University. Before and during World War II, he served as a bureaucrat in the Finance Ministry and as Chief Cabinet Secretary...
1905-1995, Founder and Prime Minister of Japan (1976-1978) - Helmut SchmidtHelmut SchmidtHelmut Heinrich Waldemar Schmidt is a German Social Democratic politician who served as Chancellor of West Germany from 1974 to 1982. Prior to becoming chancellor, he had served as Minister of Defence and Minister of Finance. He had also served briefly as Minister of Economics and as acting...
, Honorary Chairman and Chancellor of West Germany (1974-1982) - Malcolm FraserMalcolm FraserJohn Malcolm Fraser AC, CH, GCL, PC is a former Australian Liberal Party politician who was the 22nd Prime Minister of Australia. He came to power in the 1975 election following the dismissal of the Whitlam Labor government, in which he played a key role...
, Honorary Chairman and Prime Minister of Australia (1975-1983) - Ingvar CarlssonIngvar CarlssonGösta Ingvar Carlsson is a Swedish politician, Prime Minister of Sweden and leader of the Swedish Social Democratic Party ....
, Chairman and Prime Minister of Sweden (1986-1991, 1994-1996) - Andries van Agt, Prime Minister of the Netherlands (1977-1982)
- Esko AhoEsko AhoEsko Tapani Aho is a statesman and former Prime Minister of Finland.-Early life and career:Aho was born in Veteli, Finland. Prior to attending university, he began a career in politics. From 1974 to 1979, he was Chairman of the Finnish Centre Youth, which had before him grown many of his...
, Prime Minister of Finland (1991-1995) - Valdis BirkavsValdis BirkavsValdis Birkavs is a Latvian politician. He was born in Riga. He was first elected to the Latvian parliament in 1990 and helped to found the Latvian Way party. After Latvian Way won the 1993 parliamentary elections, Birkavs became the prime minister, leading a coalition government of Latvian Way...
, Prime Minister of Latvia (1993-1994) - James Bolger, Prime Minister of New Zealand (1990-1997)
- Jimmy CarterJimmy CarterJames Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
, President of the United States (1977-1981) - Jean ChrétienJean ChrétienJoseph Jacques Jean Chrétien , known commonly as Jean Chrétien is a former Canadian politician who was the 20th Prime Minister of Canada. He served in the position for over ten years, from November 4, 1993 to December 12, 2003....
, Prime Minister of Canada (1993-2003) - Bill ClintonBill ClintonWilliam Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
, President of the United States (1993-2001) - Vigdis FinnbogadóttirVigdís FinnbogadóttirVigdís Finnbogadóttir is an Icelandic politician who served as the fourth President of Iceland from 1980 to 1996. In addition to being both Iceland's and Europe's first female president, she was the world's first democratically elected female head of state...
, President of Iceland (1980-1996) - Valéry Giscard d’EstaingValéry Giscard d'EstaingValéry Marie René Georges Giscard d'Estaing is a French centre-right politician who was President of the French Republic from 1974 until 1981...
, President of France (1974-1981) - Goh Chok TongGoh Chok TongGoh Chok Tong is the Senior Minister of Singapore and the chairman of the central bank of Singapore, the Monetary Authority of Singapore. He also served as the second Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore from 28 November 1990 to 12 August 2004, succeeding Lee Kuan Yew, the former Prime...
, Prime Minister of Singapore (1990-2004) - Felipe González Márquez, Prime Minister of Spain (1982-1996)
- Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie, President of Indonesia (1998-1999)
- Gyula HornGyula HornGyula Horn is a Hungarian politician and the third Prime Minister of the Republic of Hungary, from 1994–1998....
, Prime Minister of Hungary (1994-1998) - Lee Kuan YewLee Kuan YewLee Kuan Yew, GCMG, CH is a Singaporean statesman. He was the first Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore, governing for three decades...
, Prime Minister of Singapore (1959-1990) - Costas SimitisCostas SimitisKonstantinos Simitis , usually referred to as Costas Simitis or Kostas Simitis, was Prime Minister of Greece and leader of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement from 1996 to 2004.- Biography :...
, Prime Minister of Greece (1996-2004) - Jamil MahuadJamil MahuadJorge Jamil Mahuad Witt is an Ecuadorian lawyer and politician and the 51st President of Ecuador from August 10, 1998 to January 21, 2000. There was a severe economic crisis in Ecuador , which had led to a 60% cut in the armed forces budget...
, President of Ecuador (1998-2000) - Abdelsalam al-MajaliAbdelsalam al-MajaliAbdelsalam al-Majali was twice the Prime Minister of Jordan Abd al-Salam received his medical degree from the Syrian University in 1949. He was director of medical services for the Jordanian armed forces, president of Jordan University , and minister of health...
, Prime Minister of Jordan (1993-1995, 1997-1998) - John MajorJohn MajorSir John Major, is a British Conservative politician, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990–1997...
, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1990-1997) - Nelson MandelaNelson MandelaNelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
, President of South Africa (1996-2000) - Ketumile Masire, President of Botswana (1980-1998)
- Yevgeny M. PrimakovYevgeny PrimakovYevgeny Maksimovich Primakov is a Russian politician and diplomat. During his long career, he served as the Russian Foreign Minister, Prime Minister of Russia, Speaker of the Soviet of the Union of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union, and chief of intelligence service...
, Prime Minister of Russia (1998-1999) - Jerry John Rawlings, Head of State of Ghana (1986-2000)
- Mary RobinsonMary RobinsonMary Therese Winifred Robinson served as the seventh, and first female, President of Ireland from 1990 to 1997, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, from 1997 to 2002. She first rose to prominence as an academic, barrister, campaigner and member of the Irish Senate...
, President of Ireland (1990-1997) - Michel RocardMichel RocardMichel Rocard is a French politician, member of the Socialist Party . He served as Prime Minister under François Mitterrand from 1988 to 1991, during which he created the Revenu minimum d'insertion , a social minimum welfare program for indigents, and led the Matignon Accords regarding the status...
, Prime Minister of France (1988-1991) - José SarneyJosé SarneyJosé Sarney de Araújo Costa is a Brazilian lawyer, writer and politician. He served as president of Brazil from 15 March 1985 to 15 March 1990....
, President of Brazil (1985-1990) - Hanna SuchockaHanna SuchockaHanna Suchocka is a Polish political figure. She served as the prime minister of Poland between 11 July 1992 and 26 October 1993 under the presidency of Lech Wałęsa. She is the first woman to hold this post in Poland and 19th in the world.Suchocka is a specialist in Constitutional Law...
, Prime Minister of Poland (1992-1993) - George VasiliouGeorge VasiliouGeorgios Vasos Vassiliou was the third President of the Republic of Cyprus from 1988 to 1993. He was also the founder and leader of the Cypriot United Democrats party and a highly successful businessman....
, President of the Republic of Cyprus (1992-1993) - Franz VranitzkyFranz VranitzkyFranz Vranitzky is an Austrian politician. A member of the Social Democratic Party of Austria , he was Chancellor of Austria from 1986 to 1997.-Early life and career:...
, Chancellor of Austria (1994-1999) - Richard von WeizsäckerRichard von WeizsäckerRichard Karl Freiherr von Weizsäcker , known as Richard von Weizsäcker, is a German politician . He served as Governing Mayor of West Berlin from 1981 to 1984, and as President of the Federal Republic of Germany from 1984 to 1994...
, President of West Germany (1984-1994) - Ernesto Zedillo Ponce de LéonErnesto ZedilloErnesto Zedillo Ponce de León is a Mexican economist and politician. He served as President of Mexico from December 1, 1994 to November 30, 2000, as the last of the uninterrupted seventy year line of Mexican presidents from the Institutional Revolutionary Party...
, President of Mexico (1994-1999)
Members on Leave
- Oscar Arias Sanchez, President of Costa Rica (1986-1990)
- Shimon PeresShimon PeresGCMG is the ninth President of the State of Israel. Peres served twice as the eighth Prime Minister of Israel and once as Interim Prime Minister, and has been a member of 12 cabinets in a political career spanning over 66 years...
, Prime Minister of Israel (1984-1986, 1995-1996)
Post-mortem Members
- Andrés Pastrana 1923-1997, President of Colombia (1998-2002)
- Pierre Elliott Trudeau 1919-2000, Prime Minister of Canada (1968-1979, 1980-1984)
- Kalevi SorsaKalevi SorsaTaisto Kalevi Sorsa was a Finnish politician who was Prime Minister of Finland four times: 1972–1975, 1977–1979, 1982–1983 and 1983–1987 and at the date of his death still held the Finnish record of most days of incumbency as prime minister...
1930-2004, Prime Minister of Finland (1972-1975, 1977-1979, 1982-1987) - Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo 1930-2004, Prime Minister of Portugal (1979-1980)
- Lord Callaghan of Cardiff 1912-2005, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1976-1979)
- Kiichi MiyazawaKiichi Miyazawawas a Japanese politician and the 78th Prime Minister from November 5, 1991 to August 9, 1993.-Early life and career:Miyazawa was born in Fukuyama, Hiroshima Prefecture, and graduated from Tokyo Imperial University with a degree in law. In 1942 he joined the Ministry of Finance...
1919-2007, Honorary Chairman and Prime Minister of Japan (1991-1993) - Shin Hyeon-hwak 1920-2007, Prime Minister of South Korea (1979-1980)
Young Leadership Forum
The InterAction Council launched the Helmut Schmidt Young Leadership Forum on the occasion of the 26th Annual Meeting, held in StockholmStockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. 20 young people from all over the world were invited to learn from and interact with former world leaders to build the leadership capacities of the young people chosen. The young leadership forum participants held their own seminars after the annual meeting, presenting papers on the themes of the annual meeting.