Prior to International IDEA, Yves Leterme served as Prime Minister of Belgium from 2007 to 2011. Belgium held the Presidency of the European Union during Leterme’s tenure as Prime Minister. He then served as Deputy Secretary General of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Paris from 2011 to 2014. Before serving as Prime Minister, Leterme held a variety of political posts in Belgium. After starting his career as an Alderman in his home town of Ypres, he became a Member of Parliament in the Chamber of Representatives and served as Chairman of his party CD&V. He also held various Minister posts, such as that of the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Leterme has also worked, inter alia, as a deputy auditor at the Belgian Court of Audit and as an administrator at the European Parliament.

Dr. Adam Lupel is the Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at the International Peace Institute. He is responsible for developing IPI’s long-term research agenda and for overseeing management and coordination among IPI’s offices in New York, Vienna, and Manama in close collaboration with the President. Between 2014 and 2016 he served as the director of research and publications for the Independent Commission on Multilateralism, a project of IPI.

Karin Nordmeyer serves as a senior adviser on women’s rights issues. Repeatedly appointed by the German government to serve in delegations such as the UN Commission on the Status of Women sessions, the German Advisory Board for Civilian Crisis Prevention and the NATO Civil Society Advisory Panel on Women, Peace and Security. As Representative of Zonta International, was she actively involved in the drafting of the Council of Europe “Istanbul Convention” and was speaker at Ministerial Conferences and International Fora as well as Lecturer at the Council of Europe School of Political studies from 2004-2010. She is the elected President of UN Women National Committee Germany since 2004.

Ms. Naoko UEDA took up her duties as Deputy Director at the OECD’s Development Centre on 14 July, 2016. As one of two Deputy Directors, Ms. Ueda supports the Director in establishing the strategic directions and implementing the Programme of Work of the Development Centre, ensuring that the Centre’s analysis and advice remain at the forefront of policy thinking and produce results. As a member of the OECD senior management team, Ms. Ueda works towards the achievement of the Strategic Orientations of the Secretary-General. Ms. UEDA is responsible to provide leadership to strengthen the Centre’s engagement and impact with Asia, as well as in several thematic areas such as social cohesion, gender, production transformation, and assisting developing countries in their efforts to achieve the SDGs.