Ana Palacio

Ana Palacio was Spain's Minister for Foreign Affairs in government of José María Aznar from 2002 to 2004. She was the first woman to serve as Spain's Foreign Minister and, at the time, held the most senior post ever filled by a woman in the Spanish government.

Palacio served as member of the Spanish Parliament, where she chaired the Joint Committee of the two Houses for European Union Affairs. She was at the forefront of the debate on the future of the European Union and actively participated in the drafting and legal discussions pertaining to the reform of the treaties governing the Union European.

A member of the European Parliament from 1994 to 2002, she chaired the Legal Affairs and Internal Market Committee, the Justice and Home Affairs Committee, and was elected by her peers to chair in two half legislatures the Conference of Committee Chairmen.

Inspired by legal legitimacy as the mark of identity of the EU, Palacio served as a member of the Board of Trustees and former Executive President of the Academy of European Law (ERA), and was a Distinguished Professor of the European College in Parma. Her reports have pinpointed the legislation on internal market as well as the security area, especially focused on justice and home affairs, as well as human rights.

In 2006 she was appointment as Senior Vice President and General Counsel of the World Bank. She is an honorary member of the Bar of England and Wales, and served as Secretary General of the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes.

Palacio has received several awards and honors, among them: recognition as one of the "75 Global Opinion Leaders" by The Wall Street Journal in 2004; the 2004 American Jewish Committee Ramer Award for Diplomatic Excellence, which recognizes her role in upholding democracy and the values of open society; and being named "Europe's Lawyer" and one of the "12 Influential Players on the World Business Stage" by The Wall Street Journal in 2001.

Currently, Palacio serves as a member of the international advisory board of the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. She is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Carnegie Corporation of New York and sits on the Advisory Boards of such organizations as Foundation pour l' Innovation Politique and CSIS Initiative for a Renewed Transatlantic Partnership. She is member of the Global Advisory Council of the American Interest and the Revue de Droit de l'Union Européenne.