Ursula von der Leyen

Ursula von der Leyen

Trained as a physician, Ursula von der Leyen entered politics as a cabinet minister in the German state of Lower Saxony. When Angela Merkel became German chancellor in 2005, she appointed Dr. von der Leyen as Minister of Family Affairs and Youth, a portfolio that aligned with her work on women’s health.

After four years in that position, she was appointed Minister of Labor and Social Affairs. She was then appointed Minister of Defense, the first woman to hold that top post. Von der Leyen also had the distinction of being the longest serving minister of the Merkel government.

As incoming President of the European Commission, in December 2019 von der Leyen called for new rules for AI that respect human rights and public safety. At the 2019 G-20 Summit in Japan, Chancellor Angela Merkel earlier proposed “It will be the job of the next Commission to deliver something so that we have regulation similar to the General Data Protection Regulation that makes it clear that artificial intelligence serves humanity.”

In February 2020, President von der Leyen set out a White Paper on AI for public consultation. In the September 2020 State of the Union Address, she prioritized AI policy for the European Union. She said, “Whether it’s precision farming in agriculture, more accurate medical diagnosis or safe autonomous driving – artificial intelligence will open up new worlds for us.” Von der Leyen continued, “But this world also needs rules. We want a set of rules that puts people at the centre.  Algorithms must not be a black box and there must be clear rules if something goes wrong. The Commission will propose a law to this effect next year. This includes control over our personal data which still have far too rarely today.”

And speaking to the Boston Global Forum on December 12, 2020, President von der Leyen called for a Transatlantic Agreement on AI, based on democratic values, including “human rights, pluralism, inclusion, and the protection of privacy.” For her pioneering leadership, she received the 2020 World Leader for Peace and Security Award.

President von der Leyen is also a tireless advocate for a more united Europe, a Europe that would assume a larger role in international diplomacy and security. A champion of democratic rights and institutions, she has contested the emergence of right-wing nationalism and state authoritarianism. She has pressed European countries to act collectively against COVID-19. She is committed to the Transatlantic Alliance, recognizing the collective responsibility of the EU and the US to advance global peace, security, and development.

Stavros Lambrinidis

Stavros Lambrinidis

Stavros Lambrinidis is the Ambassador of the European Union to the United States, as of March 1, 2019. From 2012 to February 2019, he served as the European Union Special Representative for Human Rights. In 2011, he was Foreign Affairs Minister of Greece.
Between 2004 and 2011, he was twice elected Member of the European Parliament (MEP) with the Greek Social Democratic Party (PASOK). He served as Vice-President of the European Parliament (2009-11), Vice-President of the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee (2004-09), and Head of the PASOK Delegation (2005-11). Between 2000 and 2004, he was Director-General of the International Olympic Truce Centre, an International Olympic Committee organization. He served as Ambassador ad personam of the Hellenic Republic (1999-2004); Secretary-General of the Greek Foreign Ministry, responsible for Expatriate Greeks (1996-99); and Chief of Staff to the Greek Foreign Minister (1996). Between 1988 and 1993 he worked as an Attorney at Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering in Washington, D.C., specializing in international trade, transactions, and arbitration. Mr. Lambrinidis was born in Athens, Greece in 1962. He studied Economics and Political Science at Amherst College (Bachelor of Arts degree, 1984) and Law at Yale Law School (Juris Doctor degree, 1988), where he was also Managing Editor of The Yale Journal of International Law. He is a 1980 graduate of the Athens College High School in Greece. He is married and has a daughter.  Ambassador of the European Union to the United States Stavros Lambrinidis is the Ambassador of the European Union to the United States, as of March 1, 2019. From 2012 to February 2019, he served as the European Union Special Representative for Human Rights. In 2011, he was Foreign Affairs Minister of Greece. Between 2004 and 2011, he was twice elected Member of the European Parliament (MEP) with the Greek Social Democratic Party (PASOK). He served as Vice-President of the European Parliament (2009-11), Vice-President of the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee (2004-09), and Head of the PASOK Delegation (2005-11). Between 2000 and 2004, he was Director-General of the International Olympic Truce Centre, an International Olympic Committee organization. He served as Ambassador ad personam of the Hellenic Republic (1999-2004); Secretary-General of the Greek Foreign Ministry, responsible for Expatriate Greeks (1996-99); and Chief of Staff to the Greek Foreign Minister (1996). Between 1988 and 1993 he worked as an Attorney at Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering in Washington, D.C., specializing in international trade, transactions, and arbitration. Mr. Lambrinidis was born in Athens, Greece in 1962. He studied Economics and Political Science at Amherst College (Bachelor of Arts degree, 1984) and Law at Yale Law School (Juris Doctor degree, 1988), where he was also Managing Editor of The Yale Journal of International Law. He is a 1980 graduate of the Athens College
High School in Greece. He is married and has a daughter.

Taro Kono

Taro Kono

Such efforts to improve the treatment of personnel, that will include higher financial reverse, are particularly important in the area of cyber security.

Didzis Kļaviņš

Didzis Kļaviņš

Didzis Klavins is a Senior Researcher at the University of Latvia, Faculty of Social Sciences and Advanced Social and Political Research Institute. He is also a guest lecturer at Riga Graduate School of Law (RGSL). Didzis has obtained Ph.D. in International Politics at the University of Latvia (thesis title: Transformation of the Foreign Ministries in the Baltic and Scandinavian Countries, 2004-2012). He holds the Europaeum’s M.A. in European History and Civilisation (with distinction), jointly offered by Leiden University, Université Paris I – Panthéon-Sorbonne, and the University of Oxford. The title of his thesis was “From Empire to Europe: Sir Harold Nicolson and Anti-Appeasement, 1930–1940”. Didzis Klavins also holds a M.A. (with distinction) and a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Latvia. He has also studied at Uppsala University, the University of Oslo, and the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. For several years Didzis worked at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia.

Ban Ki-Moon

Ban Ki-Moon

Advances in technology and science have opened up wonderful new opportunities, but they have also exposed us to new risks. As our lives have moved increasingly online, so, too, must our values and principles

Robin Kelly

Robin Kelly

Robin Kelly is a member of the U.S. House, representing Illinois’ 2nd Congressional District. She assumed office on April 11, 2013. Her current term ends on January 3, 2023. She was elected by Party leadership to serve as chair of the Illinois Democratic Party on March 3, 2021

Prior to her election to the U.S. House, Kelly served as the chief administrative officer of Cook County and was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives. At the beginning of the 115th Congress, Kelly was assigned to the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

She graduated from Bradley University with a master’s degree and received a doctorate in political science from Northern Illinois University.

There’s no need for the US to go in alone to ensure that countries like China and Russia do not write the rules of the road. It’ll be essential for the US and likeminded countries and bodies like the EU to work together guided by our values. Together, we must develop and exercise new plans and operational concepts for AI enabled capabilities and systems, promote the interoperability of military platforms and decision-making procedures, pool resources for cloud computing, best practices for sharing non-sensitive data sets, and develop common standards for tests, evaluation verification and validation.

Ramu Damodaran

Ramu Damodaran

Ramu Damodaran joined the United Nations Department of Global Communications in 1996; his responsibilities in the Department have included oversight of relationships with civil society, the creative community and celebrity advocates, publications (including as Chief Editor of the UN Chronicle), the Dag Hammarskjöld Library and the United Nations Academic Impact, which he was asked by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to devise and lead. He has also been secretary of the United Nations General Assembly’s Committee on Information since 2011. He completed his career with the United Nations in May 2021.

His earlier Secretariat assignments included the Departments of Special Political Questions and Peacekeeping as well as speechwriting in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General. He was spokesman for the “Durban Review” human rights conference in 2009 and has fulfilled a range of speaking engagements on behalf of the Organization over his career.

As a member of the Indian Foreign Service, where he was promoted to the rank of ambassador, he served as executive assistant to the Prime Minister of India between 1991 and 1994 and earlier in the Ministries of External Affairs, Home Affairs, Defence, Planning and Human Resource Development.

Before joining government service in India, he worked as a television news anchor, radio producer and host, and university correspondent for All India Radio and the Hindustan Times Evening News. His radio feature on university students in Delhi won the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union award. Ramu also served as President of the United Nations Staff Recreation Council.

Minh Nguyen

Minh Nguyen

Minh Nguyen is the Editor of the Boston Global Forum and a Shinzo Abe Initiative Fellow. She graduated from Brandeis University magna cum laude in February 2024, with a B.A. in History and Politics and minors in Journalism and Religious Studies. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Alpha Theta.

Minh edits and manages the BGF Weekly newsletter and writes the Four Pillars column. She is  a contributor to BGF Special Reports, including the Shinzo Abe Initiative Special Report “Addressing World Conflict and Four Pillars for Peace and Stability” and the BGF Special Report for the Riga Conference 2023 “How to Govern AI in an Age of Global Tension.” She is a coordinator of the History of AI Initiative. She has assisted and participated hands-on at BGF events, including the BGF Conference and Ceremony for the World Leader in AIWS Award 2022 and Governor Michael Dukakis’ 90th Birthday Celebration in 2023.

Minh has and continues to work and collaborate with world leaders and leading scholars of BGF and AIWS, from Governor Michael Dukakis and Professor Thomas Patterson to former Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga and former Japanese State Minister Yasuhide Nakayama. Utilizing her skillsets in in-depth research, flexibility, and punctual professionalism, she is a familiar member of the BGF staff, contributing to the research and production of BGF Statements and Special Reports. With a globe-trotting and global citizen background, she also brings in a multitude of worldviews and inquiries to BGF. She is fluent in English and Vietnamese, and studied Latin and German extensively.

Minh is currently based in Boston. Outside of her work at BGF and passions in current events and the histories and politics of ideologies, she enjoys cheering on the Boston Red Sox and tinkering with computer softwares.