John Agyekum Kufuor

John Agyekum Kufuor was the President of Ghana from 2001 to 2009. He is currently a Global Ambassador against Hunger for the UN World Food Programme; Chairman of the UN Interpeace Program; Chairman of the Sanitation and Water for All Partnership; Global Envoy for the Neglected Tropical Diseases Alliance; and Lead Advocate for the Partnership for Child Development. In 2011, he was named joint winner of the World Food Prize for Food and Agriculture with former Brazilian President Lula da Silva. During his presidency, he served as chairperson of the African Union (2007–08), supervising the resolution of the electoral conflict in Kenya in 2008, among others. As chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) he saw to the successful negotiations that brought peace to Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast and Liberia. Mr. Kufuor has received numerous awards including; the Chatham House prize for good leadership, Germany’s highest national award, the Bundesverdienstkreuz; Liberia’s highest award (the Grand Cordon in the Most Venerable Order of the Knighthood of the Pioneers) for helping to bring peace. He served as Member of Parliament and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs (1969-72), among other public positions in Ghana. In retirement, he has set up the John A Kufuor Foundation on Leadership, Governance and Development. Mr. Kufuor was called to the Bar at Lincoln Inn, London (1959-1961) and obtained a BA Honours Degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Exeter College, University of Oxford (1961-1964). He also holds an MA in Economics from Oxford.