GROUP OF EMINENT PERSONS

To examine the different and shared values in today's cultures, and to better understand how increased globalization will affect and alter relations among nations and peoples, UN Secretary-General Annan appointed an international Group of Eminent Persons to lead the Dialogue Among Civilizations. The Eminent Persons include former heads of state and government, Nobel laureates and renowned scholars. They were led by former UN Under-Secretary-General Giandomenico Picco, best known for his role in gaining the freedom of the hostages in Beirut, Lebanon, as the UN chief hostage negotiator.

Giandomenico Picco, Italy
Personal Representative of Secretary-General Kofi Annan

Kamal Aboulmagd, Egypt
Lourdes Arizpe, Mexico
Hanan Ashrawi, Palestine
Ruth Cardoso, Brazil
Jacques Delors, France
Leslie Gelb, USA
Nadine Gordimer, South Africa
HRH Prince El Hassan bin Talal, Jordan
Sergey Kapitza, Russia
Hayao Kawai, Japan
Tommy Koh, Singapore
Hans Küng, Switzerland
Graça Machel, Mozambique
Amartya Sen, India
Song Jian, China
Dick Spring, TD, Ireland
Tu Weiming, China
Richard von Weizsäcker, Germany
Javad Zarif, Iran