SPEAKER: DR BERNARD KOUCHNER

Kouchner is the co-founder and former president of Medecins sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders), a Paris-based non-profit humanitarian organization made up of voluntary medical personnel who contribute their time and expertise in assisting in situations of emergency or inadequate medical care in the developing world. In that capacity he traveled extensively in all the troubled areas of the world. He organized humanitarian operations to Somalia, El Salvador, Lebanon and Vietnam. In addition to those countries, he led field operations in Cambodia, Thailand, Uruguay, Peru, Guatemala and Honduras.

The first person to challenge the Red Cross's stance of neutrality and silence in wars and massacres, Kouchner has played an important role in international humanitarian efforts for more than twenty years. As France's Minister of Health and Humanitarian affairs, he convinced the U.N. to accept "the right to interfere" resolution, and after devastating civil wars in the Balkans, served as Special Representative to U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan in Kosovo.

Today, Kouchner continues to promote universal access to medical care, and takes part in international efforts in the fight against AIDS. He brings to the podium his in-depth experience with public health, human rights and international political involvement to discuss global issues.
Kouchner has played an important role in the French