Global Leadership Foundation
Encyclopedia
The Global Leadership Foundation (GLF) is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organisation founded in 2004 by former State President of South Africa and Nobel Prize laureate F.W. de Klerk.
The Global Leadership Foundation exists to promote good governance and effective political leadership. It is based on the idea that experience of government should be shared so that mistakes are not repeated. Centred around a group of former leaders who have themselves extensive experience of government and who believe they have something to offer current world leaders, GLF is a network of people and organisations committed to the principles of democratic institutions, open markets, human rights and the rule of law.
In an era in which effective governance is critical to the success of developing countries, new governments are bringing renewed hope to their peoples. But after years in the political wilderness national leaders often have had no experience of government or of working within an open society with free markets and democratic institutions. Once they are elected they face awesome challenges, expectations that cannot be fulfilled and a deluge of advice from international organizations, consultants and special interest groups.
This is where GLF can help. It comes with no agenda of its own (or of any other government or organisation). It offers a leader impartial advice on specific issues, given directly by former leaders drawing on their own personal experience. Advice is given strictly confidentially, with no publicity, on any issue of concern to a leader. GLF teams work discretely and are able to bypass protocol. This ensures privacy and facilitates the establishment of a relationship of trust. It also ensures that if a leader is helped to take a successful initiative he can take all the credit for it, strengthening and reinforcing his credibility. In this way GLF acts as a personal, private political advisory service for Heads of Government.
" based on the experience of its members.
GLF will consider requests from any government that is committed to or aspires to the principles of democratic institutions, human rights, open markets and the rule of law. GLF engages with Governments, not with opposition parties (unless requested to do so by a Head of Government).
Its core principles are discretion, trust, integrity, neutrality and independence, and it will not publicize the countries in which it works unless a leader with whom it is working wishes to make GLF’s involvement public.
GLF works closely with the UN, the IMF, the World Bank and other NGOs working in the field of conflict prevention and development.
How is GLF financed?
GLF is a non-profit, independent foundation. It is funded by other foundations, corporations, private individuals and select governments (see list of International Council members), and also aims to recover project costs from its clients. A select group of supporters also serve as guarantors to underwrite the costs of projects should GLF need to react quickly to a client request. GLF exercises careful judgement case-by-case to ensure that it is not in receipt of funds from any source likely to be considered damaging to its reputation for probity or its need to preserve the confidentiality and objectivity of its operations. A limit is placed on donations from any one donor to preserve GLF’s independence
GLF Structure
GLF is registered in the Canton of Berne, Switzerland but its day-to-day operations are run by a small Secretariat based in London. GLF is served by a Board of Directors (appointed by GLF Members) and two Advisory Committees (appointed by the GLF Board). GLF Members FW de Klerk and Joe Clark are the Chairman and Vice Chairman respectively. The Secretariat is managed by a CEO, Sir Robert Fulton, who is appointed by the Board of Directors and who is responsible for the coordination of the activities of the organization.
GLF (UK) and GLF (USA) are associate Foundations. Both have charitable status and separate Boards. The GLF Secretariat manages the day-to-day affairs of all three Foundations.
’s Zimbabwe
was not a regime that would receive GLF services. Two of the Global Leadership Foundation’s projects, however, are in the public domain and may therefore be discussed openly by the organization. These projects took place in East Timor
and Colombia
.
The Global Leadership Foundation exists to promote good governance and effective political leadership. It is based on the idea that experience of government should be shared so that mistakes are not repeated. Centred around a group of former leaders who have themselves extensive experience of government and who believe they have something to offer current world leaders, GLF is a network of people and organisations committed to the principles of democratic institutions, open markets, human rights and the rule of law.
In an era in which effective governance is critical to the success of developing countries, new governments are bringing renewed hope to their peoples. But after years in the political wilderness national leaders often have had no experience of government or of working within an open society with free markets and democratic institutions. Once they are elected they face awesome challenges, expectations that cannot be fulfilled and a deluge of advice from international organizations, consultants and special interest groups.
This is where GLF can help. It comes with no agenda of its own (or of any other government or organisation). It offers a leader impartial advice on specific issues, given directly by former leaders drawing on their own personal experience. Advice is given strictly confidentially, with no publicity, on any issue of concern to a leader. GLF teams work discretely and are able to bypass protocol. This ensures privacy and facilitates the establishment of a relationship of trust. It also ensures that if a leader is helped to take a successful initiative he can take all the credit for it, strengthening and reinforcing his credibility. In this way GLF acts as a personal, private political advisory service for Heads of Government.
" based on the experience of its members.
Members
Current members of the Global Leadership Foundation include:- FW de Klerk (Chairman) President, Republic of South Africa 1989-94
- Joe ClarkJoe ClarkCharles Joseph "Joe" Clark, is a Canadian statesman, businessman, and university professor, and former journalist and politician...
(Vice Chairman) Prime Minister, Canada 1979-80; Secretary of State for External Affairs 1984-1991
- Abdul Karim al-Eryani Prime Minister, Yemen 1980-83 & 1998-2001
- Lakhdar BrahimiLakhdar BrahimiLakhdar Brahimi is a veteran United Nations envoy and advisor. He retired from his duties at the end of 2005. Brahimi is a member of the Commission on Legal Empowerment of the Poor, the first global initiative to focus specifically on the link between exclusion, poverty and law...
Foreign Minister, Algeria 1991-93; UN Special Adviser to the Secretary-General 2004-05
- Baroness Chalker Minister of Overseas Development, United Kingdom 1989-97
- Chester A. Crocker US Assistant Secretary for African Affairs 1981-89
- Pascal CouchepinPascal CouchepinPascal Couchepin is a Swiss politician, former member of the Swiss Federal Council and President of the Confederation in 2003 and 2008...
President, Swiss Confederation 2003 & 2008
- Álvaro de SotoÁlvaro de SotoÁlvaro de Soto is a Peruvian diplomat. He ended a 25 year career with the United Nations in May 2007.-Early years:De Soto studied law and international relations in Lima and Geneva prior to enlisting in his country's diplomatic corps...
UN Under-Secretary-General 1999-2007
- Gareth EvansGareth Evans (politician)Gareth John Evans, AO, QC , is a former Australian politician from 1978 to 1999 representing the Australian Labor Party, serving in a number of ministries including Attorney-General and Foreign Minister from 1983 to 1996 in the Hawke and Keating governments. He was president and chief executive...
Foreign Minister, Australia 1988-96; President & CEO of the International Crisis Group 2000-09
- Louise FréchetteLouise FréchetteLouise Fréchette, OC was United Nations Deputy Secretary-General for eight years, and a long-time Canadian diplomat and public servant...
UN Deputy Secretary-General 1998–2006
- Vaira Vike-FreibergaVaira Vike-FreibergaVaira Vīķe-Freiberga was the sixth President of Latvia, the first female President of Latvia and the first female leader in eastern Europe. She was elected President of Latvia in 1999 and re-elected in 2003.Dr...
President, Republic of Latvia 1999-2007
- I.K. Gujral Prime Minister, India 1997-98
- HRH Prince El Hassan bin Talal Jordan
- Enrique V. IglesiasEnrique V. IglesiasEnrique Valentín Iglesias García is an economist of Uruguayan-Spanish dual citizenship. He was once president of the Inter-American Development Bank, an international institution dedicated to furthering economic development in the Western Hemisphere through investment and policy...
Foreign Minister, Uruguay, 1985–1988; President of Inter-American Development Bank 1988-2005
- Ketumile Masire President, Republic of Botswana 1980-1998
- António Mascarenhas MonteiroAntónio Mascarenhas MonteiroAntónio Manuel Mascarenhas Gomes Monteiro was the President of Cape Verde from March 22, 1991 to March 22, 2001.-Education:Monteiro went to university in Belgium and graduated with his law degree from the Catholic University of Leuven...
President, Cape Verde 1991-2001
- Donald F. McHenry US Ambassador to the UN 1979-81
- Moustapha NiasseMoustapha NiasseMoustapha Niasse is a Senegalese politician and diplomat. He served in the government of Senegal as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1978 to 1984 and again from 1993 to 1998. He was Prime Minister of Senegal for a few weeks in 1983, and he held that position again from 2000 to 2001.-Political...
Prime Minister, Senegal 1983 & 2000-01
- Anand PanyarachunAnand PanyarachunAnand Panyarachun was Thailand's Prime Minister twice, between 1991–1992 and once again in 1992. He was effective in initiating economic and political reforms, one of which was the drafting of Thailand's "Peoples' Constitution", which was promulgated in 1997 and abrogated in 2006...
Prime Minister, Thailand 1991-92
- P.J. Patterson Prime Minister, Jamaica 1992-2006
- Thomas PickeringThomas R. PickeringThomas Reeve "Tom" Pickering , is a retired United States ambassador. Among his many diplomatic appointments, he served as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations from 1989 to 1992.-Early life:...
US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs 1997-2000; US Ambassador to the UN 1989-92
- Fidel Valdez Ramos President, Republic of the Philippines 1992-98
- Elisabeth RehnElisabeth RehnMärta Elisabeth Rehn is a former MP of the Swedish People's Party and the first female Minister of Defence in Finland. In the 1994 presidential elections she was narrowly defeated by Martti Ahtisaari.Elisabeth Rehn spent her childhood in Mäntsälä, where her father worked as a community medical...
UN Under-Secretary-General 1998-99; UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights 1995-97; Minister of Defence (1990–95) and Equality Affairs (1991–95), Finland
- 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, France 1988-91
- Salim Ahmed SalimSalim Ahmed SalimSalim Ahmed Salim a Tanzanian diplomat who has worked in the international diplomatic arena since the early 1960s. Salim is married to Amne and they have three children: Maryam, Ali and Ahmed....
Prime Minister, Tanzania, 1984–1985; Secretary General, OAU, 1989–2001
- Armen Sarkissian Prime Minister, Armenia 1996-97
- Javier SolanaJavier SolanaFrancisco Javier Solana de Madariaga, KOGF is a Spanish physicist and Socialist politician. After serving in the Spanish government under Felipe González and Secretary General of NATO , he was appointed the European Union's High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy, Secretary...
Secretary General, Council of European Union 1999-2009; Secretary General, NATO 1995-1999; Foreign Minister, Spain 1992-1995
- Cassam UteemCassam UteemCassam Uteem is a Mauritian political figure who served as President of Mauritius from 30 June 1992 to 15 February 2002 and is the longest serving President of Mauritius, having served for nine years....
President, Mauritius 1992-2002
- Hans van den BroekHans van den BroekHenri van den Broek is a leading Dutch politician. He is best known for having served 11 years as the Netherlands' Minister of Foreign Affairs between 1982 and 1993, when he became European Commissioner for Foreign Relations.-Career:Van Den Broek started his career as a lawyer...
Foreign Minister, the Netherlands 1982-93; Member European Commission 1993-99
- Kaspar VilligerKaspar VilligerKaspar Villiger is a Swiss businessman, politician and former member of the Swiss Federal Council . He currently heads Swiss bank UBS.-Political career:On February 1, 1989, he was elected to the Swiss Federal Council...
President, Swiss Confederation 1995 & 2002
Organisation
With whom does GLF work ?GLF will consider requests from any government that is committed to or aspires to the principles of democratic institutions, human rights, open markets and the rule of law. GLF engages with Governments, not with opposition parties (unless requested to do so by a Head of Government).
Its core principles are discretion, trust, integrity, neutrality and independence, and it will not publicize the countries in which it works unless a leader with whom it is working wishes to make GLF’s involvement public.
GLF works closely with the UN, the IMF, the World Bank and other NGOs working in the field of conflict prevention and development.
How is GLF financed?
GLF is a non-profit, independent foundation. It is funded by other foundations, corporations, private individuals and select governments (see list of International Council members), and also aims to recover project costs from its clients. A select group of supporters also serve as guarantors to underwrite the costs of projects should GLF need to react quickly to a client request. GLF exercises careful judgement case-by-case to ensure that it is not in receipt of funds from any source likely to be considered damaging to its reputation for probity or its need to preserve the confidentiality and objectivity of its operations. A limit is placed on donations from any one donor to preserve GLF’s independence
GLF Structure
GLF is registered in the Canton of Berne, Switzerland but its day-to-day operations are run by a small Secretariat based in London. GLF is served by a Board of Directors (appointed by GLF Members) and two Advisory Committees (appointed by the GLF Board). GLF Members FW de Klerk and Joe Clark are the Chairman and Vice Chairman respectively. The Secretariat is managed by a CEO, Sir Robert Fulton, who is appointed by the Board of Directors and who is responsible for the coordination of the activities of the organization.
GLF (UK) and GLF (USA) are associate Foundations. Both have charitable status and separate Boards. The GLF Secretariat manages the day-to-day affairs of all three Foundations.
Projects
According to its website, the Global Leadership Foundation has a growing portfolio of projects undertaken in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. Because discretion is a key aspect of the Global Leadership Foundation’s concept and success, and although they are open about their mission, GLF does not publicly disclose the countries in which they are working unless the Head of Government of said country chooses to do so. Exactly how projects or governments are chosen or rejected is not specified, but the website states that “GLF will consider requests from any government that is committed to or aspires to the principles of democratic institutions, human rights, open markets and the rule of law.” As an example the GLF have declared that Robert MugabeRobert Mugabe
Robert Gabriel Mugabe is the President of Zimbabwe. As one of the leaders of the liberation movement against white-minority rule, he was elected into power in 1980...
’s Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
was not a regime that would receive GLF services. Two of the Global Leadership Foundation’s projects, however, are in the public domain and may therefore be discussed openly by the organization. These projects took place in East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
and Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
.