Our Shared Future

Congress Programme
Liberal International 55th Congress
15-17 May, 2008
Belfast, Northern Ireland

1
 General Information
Registration of Participants
Registration can be done on Thursday May 15 from 10.00-18.00 at the Registration Desk in
Meeting Room Amsterdam 1 on the second floor of the Hotel Europa, located on Great
Victoria Street in the centre of Belfast. On Friday May 16, registration is from 08.30-18.00
at the Registration Desk at the Entrance of the Exhibition Center on the hotels ground floor.

Secretariat
The LI Secretariat is only accessible to secretariat members. Please note that phone calls or
email messages by delegates and their use of fax, telephones, computers, printers and
photocopies are their personal responsbility. Delegates can make use of the business centre
in the hotel at their own expense.

Medical Emergencies
In case of sickness or accident during the Congress, the participant should immediately notify
a member of the Secretariat of Liberal International. Participants are advised to ensure that
they have adequate insurance coverage, either at their own expense or at the expense of
their nominating organisation, for sickness, accident and third party risk covering the entire
duration of the Congress and the journey to and from the Congress venue. Neither Liberal
International nor the host party accept responsibility or liability for such contingencies.

Emergency Police, Fire, Ambulance:

The emergency number is 999. It is free of charge but should only be used in cases of
genuine emergency. On answer, state which service you require, wait to be connected to
that service and then clearly state the location of where the assistance is required.

Buses
The buses that wil bring the delegates to the receptions depart from the bus station that is
attached to the Hotel Europa.

Currency
Remember, the currency in Northern Ireland is pound sterling, which is best secured from one
of Belfasts widely available ATMs. Any surplus Northern Ireland bank notes should be
exchanged on departure, either for Euros or Bank of England notes, as (contrary to popular
belief) these are not legal tender and are not widely accepted outside Northern Ireland.

The location of the conference rooms at Hotel Europa:

Room Floor
Exhibition Center Ground
Amsterdam 1 2
Copenhagen 1 & 2 2
Dublin 1 & 2 2
Berlin 1 2
Rotunda 2
Edinburgh 12

2
 Table of Contents
Words of welcome by Lord Alderdice................................................................................4

Words of welcome by David Ford .....................................................................................5

Congress Programme.........................................................................................................6

Bureau Nominations ........................................................................................................10

Biographies Liberal Leaders.............................................................................................11

Congress Theme: Our Shared Future ...............................................................................13

Subtheme 1: For a non-violent society ..........................................................................14

Subtheme 2: For an inclusive society ............................................................................16

Subtheme 3: For a society where all can live ................................................................18

Workshops and Sessions: ................................................................................................20

1. Workshop: African Environment Panel Session .......................................................20

2. Liberal Think Tank Workshop: liberal perspectives on migration ............................21

3. Friedrich Naumann Foundation Regional Networks Roundtable ............................22

3.1 First session - Status of Freedom and Democracy .............................................22

3.2 Second session - Safeguarding democracy: Strategies and Liberal Solutions....23

3.3 Third session - Development of Regional Networks..........................................24

4. Workshop: Cost of Conflict.......................................................................................24

5. Workshop: International Network of Liberal Women (INLW) ...................................25

Draft Agenda Executive Committee Meeting. ..............................................................25

Draft Agenda Administrative Session..............................................................................27

Draft Minutes, Executive Committee Meeting, November 2007, Hamburg, Germany ....31

Draft Minutes, Administrative Session, 2006 Congress, Marrakech, Morocco ................30

3
Words of welcome
by Lord Alderdice

Dear liberal friends,

It is a very special pleasure for me to welcome Liberal International back to Belfast for our
55th Congress. When the LI Executive came to Belfast in 1995 we had just begun a
ceasefire but hopes were modest and anxieties still high that we could easily revert to the
political violence which had plagued our country.

Now we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement and the picture has
changed completely. There is of course profound symbolism in holding the LI Congress in the
Europa Hotel. It was once the most bombed hotel in the world, but became the setting for
US President Bill Clinton, and leading politicians from Britain and Ireland to set Northern
Ireland on the road to peace and economic prosperity. We will also enjoy a reception at
the Parliament Buildings at Stormont, for years a byword for political division, now the
setting for one of the worlds most remarkable experiments in peace-making and power-
sharing.

Liberals are not just about the freedom and dignity of individual people, we also recognize
that none of us can fulfil our potential on our own, especially when we are struggling
against the giants of hunger, disease, poverty, war and increasingly, of environmental
degradation. These are giants which can only be addressed when we work together. It is no
accident that we are gathering in Belfast, a place where hope has gradually emerged out
of the ashes of a city of despair. This Congress will be a time of thoughtful, earnest debate
and policy development, but it will also be a celebration of the growth of liberalism
throughout the world as we welcome many new member parties into the liberal family, and I
believe that our liberal friends will be able to leave Belfast enthused about the
opportunities liberals have to build a better shared future than appears possible at this very
difficult and dangerous time in global affairs.

I wish you a wonderful and rewarding congress, and hope that you will thoroughly enjoy
your stay in Belfast.

Ever,

John, Lord Alderdice

President of Liberal International
4
Words of welcome
by David Ford

Dear fellow liberal,

Let me extend to you a very warm welcome to Northern Ireland. Congress takes place at a
very exciting time for us here, with a political settlement finally in operation.

The theme of Congress is Our Shared Future. We now have a political deal in Northern
Ireland. But that is only part of creating a shared future. Too often, our schools, our housing
estates and our leisure facilities are segregated in practice, often through the conscious
choice of some users and social pressure on others.

While our agreement on state institutions is vital, as liberals we should always put people
ahead of institutions. Institutions are only important in so far as they serve people and the
society they live in. Our institutions can only be declared a success in the long term, if they
deliver lasting peace and foster an integrated society comfortable with itself.

Indeed, the Northern Ireland settlement is in many ways an illiberal one. Too often, it sees
the important thing about our citizens as being their allegiance to Britain or Ireland, instead
of their basic humanity. Alliance is fighting to liberalise our system of government, allowing
it to mature into a system where people come before labels. As well as learning from
Northern Irelands successes, we hope you can learn from our mistakes.

The 20th century was littered with ethnic problems which were solved by forced
assimilation, expulsion and mass murder. In the 21st century, we need to create societies
which are flexible enough to be comfortable with diversity. A shared future goes beyond
ethnic divisions. Without social inclusion, societys fruits are not shared with the poor.
Improving our environment is about sharing the planet with other species and future
generations. I look forward to discussing these issues with you during Congress.

Kind regards,

David Ford
Leader, Alliance Party of Northern Ireland

5
 Congress Programme
Thursday 15 May 2008

Time Activity Place

08:00-18:00 Secretariat Berlin 1
10:00-18:00 Registration Desk opens Copenhagen 2
11:30-13:00 Bureau Meeting [closed] Copenhagen 1
13:00-15:00 African Liberal Network General Assembly Edinburgh
[Administrative session, ALN members only]
14:00-16:00 ELDR Election Manifesto 2009 Rotunda
[internal debate open to ELDR member parties]
15:00-16:00 Collection of Executive Committee Voting Cards Registration Desk
15:30 Deadline Urgency Resolutions Registration Desk
16:00-18:00 Executive Committee Meeting
[Closed Session Delegates only]
Edinburgh
Chair:
John, Lord Alderdice (President Liberal International)
18:00-19:00 Introduction for first-time delegates
Chair: Dr Neric Acosta Edinburgh

19:00-21:00 Executive Committee Reception 19.00: Departure

[by invitation only] from bus station
Hillsborough Castle and Gardens at Hotel Europa
21:00 Departure back to Hotel Europa from Reception Venue
21:00-23:00 Bureau Dinner [closed]
21:00-23:00 International Officers Dinner [by invitation only] Gather at bus
station at
Hotel Europa

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 ``Friday 16 May 2008

Time Activity Meeting Room

08:00-18:00 Secretariat (access restricted) Berlin 1
08:30-18:00 Registration Desk opens Entrance to the
Exhibition Centre
08:30-09:30 Head of Delegation collection of Voting Cards
Registration Desk
Head of Delegation collection of Ballot Papers
09:00-11:00 Formal Opening of the Congress

Welcome:

David Ford
Leader, Alliance Party, Northern Ireland

Welcome:

John, Lord Alderdice
President, Liberal International Exhibition Centre

Speakers:

H.E. Roberto Micheletti,

President of Congress, Honduras

H.E. Chen Shui Bian,
President of Republic of China (Taiwan), Video
Message

H.E. Abulaye Wade,
President of the Republic of Senegal
11:00-11:30 Press Conference Exhibition Centre
11:00-11:30 Coffee Break (individual arrangement)
11:00-13:00 CALD-RELIAL Network Meeting Lincoln Suite,
[by invitation only] Days Inn Hotel
11:30-13:00 African Environment Panel Discussion Edinburgh
[open to all interested]
11:30-13:00 Human Rights Committee Meeting
Chair: Henning Nielsen
Chairman of LI Human Rights Committee, Denmark
Exhibition Centre
Speakers:

Marco Panella, MEP, Radicali Italiani, Italy

Rajiva Wijesinha,SLLP, Sri Lanka
11:30-13:00 Liberal Think Tanks Workshop: Migration
Chair: Prof. Ingemund Hgg, BO Institute, Sweden
Speakers: Dublin 1 & 2

Aladair Murray, Director CentreForum, UK

Thierry Coosemans, ELF Board Member, Belgium

Thomas Straubhaar, Hamburg University

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13:00-14:00 CALD-RELIAL Lunch (by invitation only)
13:00-14:00 Lunch (individual arrangement)
14:00-14:15 Speech
Exhibition Centre
Sam Rainsy, SRP Leader, Cambodia
14:15-15:30 Administrative Session
Chair: John, Lord Alderdice, LI President Exhibition Centre
15:30-15:45 Coffee Break
16:00-17:00 Theme reports: Our Shared Future
Chair: Hans van Baalen MP, LI Deputy President
Speakers:
Exhibition Centre

For a Non-Violent Society
Dr. Duncan Morrow, Northern Ireland

For Society We Can All Live In
Dzevdet Chakarov, LI Bureau member, Minister,
Bulgaria
17:00-19:00 Panel: For a Non-Violent Society
Chair: Juli Minoves-Triquell, LI Bureau member

Eduardo Montealegre, Founder of the
Exhibition Centre
Nicaraguan Libreal Alliance Party

Maung Maung,Secretary General of the
National Council of the Union of Burma

Rosie Odinga, Orange Democratic Movement,
Kenya
17:00-19:00 Panel: For A Society Where All Can Live
ALDE Climate Change Debate
Chair: Hugo Bler, NZZ, Switzerland
Speakers:
Lena Ek, MEP, Centre Party of Sweden/ALDE
Group in the European Parliament Edinburgh
Prof. Luiz Molion, Meteorological Department of
the Centre for Natural and Exact Science,
Federal University of Alagoas, Brazil
Tetsundo Iwakuni MP, Director-General of the
International Department, Democratic Party of
Japan
17:00-19:00 Working Group on Resolutions Dublin 1& 2
19:30 Departure for Reception bus station
20:00 Reception at Stormont: Northern Ireland Assembly
10 years of Good Friday Agreement
22:00 Bus departure from the Reception Venue

8
 Saturday 17 May 2008

Time Activity Meeting Room

09:00-13:00 Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Liberty:
CALD-RELIAL-ALN-ALDE Freedom Roundtable
Dublin 1 & 2
(upon invitation)
Retreat of freedom and weakening governance:
How do we safeguard democracy worldwide?
09:30-11:00 Workshop: Cost of Conflict
(open to all interested) Exhibition Centre
Presentation: Sundeep Waslekar, Stretegic Foresight
Group, India
09:30-11:00 INLW Board Meeting and Roundtable
Copenhagen 2
(open to all interested)
Chair: Joaquima Alemany Roca MP, Catalonia
09:30-11:00 Northern Ireland 10 years after Good Friday Rotunda
Presentation by the Northern Ireland Foundation
11:10-11:30 Speech
Exhibition Centre
For an Inclusive Society
Helen Zille, Leader, DA, South Africa
11:30-13:00 Panel: For an Inclusive Society
Chair: Paola da Silva, IFLRY President, Colombia
Speakers:

Rebiya Kadeer, Chairwoman, Uyghur American Exhibition Centre
Association

Khaled Osaily, Mayor of Hebron (t.b.c.),
Palestine

Boris Dittrich, Advocacy Director, LGBT, Human
Rights Watch, USA
13:00-14:30 Lunch International Liberal Leaders Rotunda
[by Invitation only, hosted by ALDE]
14:30-14:40 Speech Exhibition Centre
Bill Graham, Past LPC Leader and Minister, Canada
14:40-14:50 Speech Exhibition Centre
Graham Watson MEP, ALDE Leader, European Union
14:50-15:00 Speech Exhibition Centre
Olivier Kami Tatu, Minister, ARC Leader, DR Congo
15:00-16:30 Plenary Session: Resolutions Exhibition Centre
16:30-17:00 Presidential Speech and Closing of the Congress Exhibition Centre
19:30 Departure to Reception Venue bus station
20:00 Ulster Transport Museum
22:30 Bus departure from the Reception Venue

9
 Bureau Nominations

Bureau Position
Party Proposed by: Incumbent?
Nominee aspired:

John
LibDems (UK) Nick Clegg Yes President
Alderdice

Hans Deputy
VVD (Netherlands) Mark Rutte Yes
van Baalen President

Josep
LiD (Catalunia) Carles Gasoliba Yes Treasurer I
Soler

Silver
ERP (Estonia) PM Andres Ansip No Treasurer II
Meikar

Lamine
SDP (Senegal) President Wade No Vice-President
Ba

Dzhevdet
MRF (Bulgaria) Ahmed Dogan Yes Vice-President
Chakarov

Wolfgang
FDP (Germany) Hans-Jurgen Beerfeltz Yes Vice-President
Gerhardt

Bi-Khim
DPP (Taiwan) Frank Hsieh Yes Vice-President
Hsiao

Charles
Lib Dems (UK) Nick Clegg Yes Vice-President
Kennedy

Juli
Minoves- PLA (Andorra) PM Albert Pintat Yes Vice-President
Triquell

Voting procedures
Voting procedures are available from the LI secretariat or at www.liberal-international.org.

10
 Biographies Liberal Leaders
David Ford
Mr. Ford is the leader of the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland. He was
responsible for breaking the deadlock over the election of a First
Minister and Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland in October 2001.
Strongly committed to the Good Friday Agreement to bring about a non-
sectarian society, he opposes sectarian politics in Northern Ireland. Prior
to becoming Alliance leader in 2001, Mr. Ford was Alliance Chief Whip
from 1998-2001 in the Northern Irish Assembly, and currently serves on
a variety of its committees.

Lord Alderdice
John, Lord Alderdice has been a member of the House of Lords
for the Liberal Democrats since 1996. A psychiatrist by
profession, Lord Alderdice was the leader of the Alliance Party of
Northern Ireland from 1991-1998, and represented the party as
the first-ever non-nationalist political leader in the Northern Irish
Peace Talks. He played a key role as negotiator alongside
Senator George Mitchell and others in bringing about the Good
Friday Agreement that ended decades of violence in Northern
Ireland. Lord Alderdice was elected President of LI at the 2005
Sofia Congress, and re-elected at the 2006 Marrakech Congress.

President Wade
Maitre Abdoulaye Wade, born on May 29, 1926, is the third
and current President of Senegal, and has been in office since
2000. He is also the Secretary-General of the ruling Senegalese
Democratic Party (PDS), a full-member party of Liberal
International, which he has led since the party was founded in
1974. He ran for president four times, beginning in 1978, before
he was elected in 2000, and re-elected in 2006. President
Wade has taken various initiatives in respresenting the African
continent towards the rest of the world, by taking leading
positions in a variety of debates, including education,
unemployment, the accessibility of technology to Africans, emigration and immigration, as
well as the role of international organisations and their effectiveness.

Roberto Micheletti Bain

Mr. Micheletti has been the President of the National
Congress of Honduras since 2006, when he was elected for a
mandate of four years. Mr. Micheletti has a distinguished
career in business having worked for Hondutel, the leading
Honduras telecom company, for twenty years from 1982 to
2002, lastly working as its Director General. Mr. Micheletti is
also a leading figure within the Honduran Liberal Party, a full
member party of the Liberal International.

11
Chen-Shui Bian
Chen-Shui Bian, born in Tainan County, Taiwan on October 12
1950, was elected as the President of Taiwan in 2000, and
was re-elected in 2004. When he took office on behalf of his
party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), a full member of
the Liberal International, President Chen was the first non-KMT
leader to rule Taiwan in more than 50 years. Prior to becoming
the President of Taiwan, Mr. Chen was the mayor of Taipei
since 1994, and before that, a lawyer and businessman.

Sam Rainsy
Sam Rainsy, born on 10 March 1949 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, is the
leader of the Sam Rainsy Party in Cambodia. He has been
Cambodia's leading champion of democracy, human rights, and the
rule of law for almost a decade and continues to fight to implement
freedom and democracy in a dictatorial Cambodia. In the 2003 poll,
the Sam Rainsy Party won 22 percent of the votes, becoming the
second party behind Prime Minister Hun Sen's Cambodia People's
Party. Despite very real threats against him, Mr. Rainsy continues to
fight to implement freedom and democracy in the face of the
dictatorship of Cambodia. Liberal International awarded Sam Rainsy
LIs prestigious Prize for Freedom in 2006.

Graham Watson
Graham Watson was the first British Liberal Democrat ever to be
elected to the European Parliament, winning the Somerset &
North Devon constituency with a majority of over 22,500. In June
1999, Mr. Watson was elected to represent the newly enlarged
South West of England constituency, which covers Bristol,
Gloucestershire, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Devon and Cornwall
which he has held since then. In 2002, he was elected as Leader
of the 53 European Liberal Democrat and Reform (ELDR)
members of the European Parliament. Following the elections in
2004, the group was enlarged to become the 88-member
Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Europe (ALDE), with
Graham Watson elected as Leader.

Bill Graham
William C. Bill Graham was first elected to the Canadian House of
Commons as MP for the riding of Rosedale (now Toronto Centre) in the
1993 federal elections. He was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs
in a cabinet shuffle by Prime Minister Jean Chrtien in January 2002.
In the cabinet shuffle that followed the 2004 election, Graham was
moved to the Defence portfolio. In 2006, he was interim
parliamentary leader of the Liberal Party and Leader of the
Opposition in the House of Commons when Paul Martin announced his
decision to resign following the January federal election. On June 19,
2007, Mr. Graham resigned his seat effective July 2, 2007. Bill
Graham has had distinguished affiliation with LIl, previously serving on the Bureau as
Treasurer.

12
 Congress Theme: Our Shared Future
Towards the end of the first decade of the 21st century, the impact of globalisation on
peoples everyday lives has become unprecedented. Never before were the interests of
individuals, groups, nations, regions and continents so strongly and directly connected, and
never before did there exist such a widespread global consciousness about the implications
of this interdependency for both the near and distant futures. Over the last few years,
worldwide challenges like a looming shortage of energy resources, the impact of climate
change and a shifting balance in economic power have dominated media around the world
on an almost daily basis. The constant exposure to these and other global themes not only
provokes strong and animated debates about their truth and impact, it also generates an
increasing demand for political solutions to the global problems they can potentially create.

In order to provide a platform for liberals from around the world to discuss this political
reality, the Liberal International has chosen Our Shared Future as the theme for its 2008
Congress. Under this banner, delegates to the Belfast Congress will be able to discuss how
they as liberals perceive their shared future, and how liberal approaches can shape the
path toward it. Three subthemes will guide discussions and debate around this Congress
theme, touching upon the three essential conditions for a shared future in a shared society:
non-violence, inclusiveness and an environment in which all can live.

The first subtheme is For a non-violent society. Under this subtheme, liberals will discuss
solutions to dealing with violence and furthering political settlements, supporting conflict
prevention, applying preventive diplomacy and creating political and non-political tools to
counter terrorism.

The second subtheme is For an inclusive society. Under this subtheme, liberal approaches to
local and global migration, the inclusion of minorities, recognition of the rights of individuals
as well as the integration of disadvantaged and marginalized communities and groups in
society will be discussed.

The third subtheme is For a society where all can live. This theme will give liberals the
opportunity to discuss the protection of the environment, awareness of the importance of
environmental planning, perceptions and solutions about climate change, innovative sources
of energy, and political solutions to dealing with energy crises.

Chairman: Hans van Baalen

Hans van Baalen MP is the Deputy President of the Liberal
International and a member of the Dutch Parliament for the VVD
liberal group, a full member of the Liberal International. For his
party, Mr. Van Baalen is the spokesperson on Foreign Affairs. He is
also the Chairman of the Permanent Parliamentary Defence
Committee in the Dutch parliament. Hans van Baalen became a
Bureau Member of LI at the 50th Congress in Ottawa, October
2000, was re-elected at the 51st Congress in Budapest, March
2002, and again at the 52th Congress in Dakar, October 2003. He
was elected Deputy President of Liberal International at the 53rd LI
Congress in Sofia, Bulgaria, May 2005, and re-elected at the 54th
LI Congress in Marrakech, Morocco.

13
 Subtheme 1: For a non-violent society
Non-violence and the respect of the rights of individuals are traditional cornerstones of
liberal political thought. To further these rights, multilateral cooperation, understanding and
a desire for peaceful coexistence are some of the core values that liberals in the 21st
century must work together to achieve. Unfortunately, in their pursuit of solving political
disagreement and conflict, liberals continue to face political adversaries whose answers to
conflict are too often based on strife rather than on dialogue, on meaningless rhetoric than
on constructive peace talks. This Panel will discuss the Congress Theme, For a non-violent
society. The panel will include themes such as dealing with violence and political settlements,
conflict prevention, preventive diplomacy and political measures against terrorism.

Theme Rapporteur: Duncan Morrow

Presentation: Exhibition Centre, Friday 16 May, 16.00 to 17.00

Dr. Duncan Morrow is Chief Executive Officer of the

Community Relations Council, the primary body responsible
for funding and development of inter-community relations
practice and policy in Northern Ireland. He was previously a
lecturer in politics at the University of Ulster and is an author
of numerous reports, books and articles on politics, peace-
building and inter-community relationships. He is the co-
director of Future Ways. He serves as a Commissioner on the
Northern Ireland Sentence Review Commission, the body
responsible for the early release of paramilitary prisoners as
part of the Belfast Agreement, and as a Life Sentence Review Commissioner.

Panel Session on For a Non-Violent Society

Exhibition Centre, Friday 16 May, 17.00 to 19.00

Chairman: Dr. Hugo Btler

Dr. Hugo Btler was the Chief Editor of one of the leading
Swiss dailies, the Neue Zrcher Zeitung (NZZ) newspaper, for
21 years, where he joined the editorial staff in 1968. He also
worked in the areas of Swiss home affairs, foreign policy,
media and social politics. Dr. Btler is committed to spreading
liberal views and attitudes by steering the NZZ towards well-
founded opinions with a liberal orientation. Another part of Dr.
Btlers political commitment is the NZZs membership in the
International Press Institute (IPI). He has played an active role
with them since it was founded in 1950 through its active role
in the IPIs efforts to promote freedom of the press on behalf
of threatened or imprisoned journalists around the world. Dr.
Btler assures the NZZs provision of information, as well as its
contribution to forming opinion, as being in the service of freedom and reason for the public
interest. He also believes in the service of a liberal and democratic policy which, while not
perfect, has found a concrete form in the Swiss state, which can stand comparison with any
true democracy in the world. Dr. Hugo Btler sits in a leading position in the NZZ group and
is the head of journalism.

14
Speakers:
U Maung Maung
U Maung Maung, General Secretary of the National
Council of the Union of Burma (NCUB) and General
Secretary of the Federation of Trade Unions - Burma
(FTUB), is a world-recognized voice of Burmas democracy
and free labour movement. He organized the Burma
Miners Union and was one of the labour leaders in the
1988 protests against the Burmese junta. As General
Secretary of the NCUB, Maung Maung has built alliances
with Burmas ethnic minorities to adopt the Federal
Constitution for a Democratic Government of Burma. The
majority of the Members of Parliament elected in Burmas 1990 General Election have
signed and endorsed this constitution. Maung Maung also serves as General Secretary of
the FTUB, which he founded in 1991. FTUB is a federation of free trade unions working to
restore democracy and enforce labour rights in Burma.

Eduardo Montealegre
Eduardo Montealegre is a Nicaraguan politician and the
founder of the Nicaraguan Liberal Alliance Party (ALN).
He ran for president in the 2006 general election as the
candidate of the Nicaraguan Liberal Alliance (ALN-PC)
and, coming second receiving 29.3% of the votes, was
granted a seat in the Nicaraguan Congress. Montealegre
received a BSc in Economics from Brown University in
1976 and an MBA with a focus in finance and strategic
planning from Harvard University in 1980. He has served
as Minister to the Presidency in 1998, Foreign Minister from 1999 to 2000 and Finance
Minister from 2002 to 2003. Mr. Montealegre has headed several private sector companies
before joining the government and is a former president of the Nicaraguan American
Bankers Association and the ex-director of the Venture Council Forum from the University of
Miami, Florida.

Rosie Odinga
Ms. Odinga-Mazingira is a marketing consultant and politician from Kenya. She is the
daughter of Raila Odinga, the current Prime Minister of Kenya serving in a coalition
government under President Kibaki. Ms. Odinga is the Communications Director for the
Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), the party led by Mr. Odinga, for which she
organised various succesfull media campaigns involving a variety of technological methods,
including text messaging and the internet.

15
 Subtheme 2: For an inclusive society
This sub-theme of Liberal Internationals 55th Congress in Belfast takes this classical tenet of
liberalism and attempts to explore its modern day ramifications with the panel discussion For
an inclusive society. As the traditional definition of a nation state begins to erode along with
the accompanying ideological baggage of real politik, liberals in the 21st century not only
understand that marginalised groups exist in every corner of the world, but that they are in
fact being shoved further to the fringes of society. Despite popular belief, these groups are
not relegated to the poor nations of the developing world, kept at bay by despots and
autocrats. These groups, stigmatised by race, religion, creed, lifestyle choice and many other
intangible qualifiers, and the issues that affect them, exist in every corner of the world.

Theme Rapporteur: Helen Zille

Presentation: Exhibition Centre, Saturday 17 May, 11.10-11.30

Helen Zille is the Mayor of Cape Town in South Africas Western

Cape Province and leader of the Democratic Alliance political
party, South Africas official opposition. Ms. Zille declared herself a
candidate to succeed the outgoing leader of the Democratic
Alliance, Tony Leon in 2007. She was elected as the new leader by
a large majority on 6 May 2007. She has indicated that she will
lead the party from outside Parliament, while continuing in her
position as executive mayor of Cape Town. Before becoming
politically active, Ms. Zille had a distinguished career as a
journalist, in which she famously discovered the truth behind Steve
Bikos death. As a politician, Ms. Zille has fought extensively against
drugs and alcohol abuse and the problems associated with it, and
has taken many measures against corruption and crime in South
Africa.

Panel Session on For an Inclusive Society

Exhibition Centre, Saturday 17 May, 11.30 13.00

Chairwoman: Paola da Silva

Paola da Silva, a native of Colombia, is the president of IFLRY, the
world federation of liberal youth and student organisations. She
has been involved in youth participation and politics since high
school when she was elected as student representative for Directive
Council at her school. Consequently, she was involved in youth
organisations and campaigns to promote youth participation and
youth involvement in politics. Since 2001, she has been member of
the Colombian youth liberal party UCJD. As its international officer,
she attended a wide variety of IFLRY events. She was elected as
an IFLRY vice-president for the 2003-2005 period, and re-elected
for the 2005-2007 period. In 2007, Ms. da Silva was elected
President of IFLRY, its first-ever non-European leader.
Professionally, she works as a researcher for a Colombian NGO researching peace and
human rights. Ms. da Silva is currently working on a project to build a process of
reconciliation and construction of post-conflict society in Colombia. In her sparetime, she likes
to dance and read.

16
Speakers:
Rebiya Kadeer
Ms. Kadeer is a human rights activist and former businesswoman.
An advocate for the rights of the Uyghur people in East Turkestan
(aka Xinjiang Province in northwest China), she established a
multimillion-dollar trading company and worked to provide
opportunities for disadvantaged Uyghurs. Previously held up as a
model of Uyghur success, she fell from government favour after
she began calling upon the PRC government to change its
repressive policies against the Uyghurs. Ms. Kadeer spent nearly
six years in prison before being released to the U.S., after which
she has continued advocating on behalf of Uyghur human rights.
Ms. Kadeers children and other family members have frequently
been persecuted by PRC authorities in retaliation for her human rights advocacy.

Khaled Osaily
Mr. Osaily was born in 1947 in Hebron, Palestine. He gained his
BA in Business Administration in 1970. Mr. Osaily, a pioneer
businessman and private sector leader is well known for his
visionary thinking and successful initiatives. He is a founder of a
number of companies in Palestine such as the Palestinian
Telecommunications Company (PALTEL). Mr. Osaily served in a
number of public positions, including a board member in the
Palestinian Monetary Authority from 2002-2005. He was the
youngest elected Municipal Council member in Hebron in 1976 and
he served as a Vice Mayor in Hebron Municipality until 2003. The
President of the Palestinian National Authority, Mr. Mahmoud
Abbas, installed Mr. Osaily as the Mayor of Hebron in April, 2007.
This was a reflection of Mr. Osailys leadership skills and ability to lead the largest city in
the West Bank. Mr. Osaily is a strong believer in private-public sector partnership. His
private sector expertise and position as Mayor allow for sustainable economic development
in Hebron with a high level of social responsibility provided the appropriate political
environment and stability prevails.

Boris Dittrich
Mr. Dittrich was born in Utrecht, the Netherlands in 1955.
Graduating from Law school at Leyden University in 1981, he
specialised in criminal and civil law. From 1989 to 1994, he was
appointed as Judge at the district court of Alkmaar in the
Netherlands. In 1994, he was elected a member of parliament
for the Dutch social liberal party D66. During his mandate as
parliamentarian, his work involved the affairs of standing
committees on Justice, Foreign Affairs, Economical Affairs,
Domestic Affairs, Education, Science and Culture and Antillian and
Aruban Affairs. Mr. Dittrich raised a wide variety of issues
concerning euthanasia, LGBT-rights, the legalisation of prostitution
and condoning of soft drugs. In 2003, he was elected as leader
of his party, a post he held until 2006. Since 2007, Mr. Dittrich is the advocacy director of
the LGBT-program of Human Rights Watch in New York City, USA.

17
 Subtheme 3: For a society where all can live
Environmental protectionism has enjoyed resurgence in the past several years, similar to the
initial surge of concern in the early 1980s when it was first discovered that the relatively
thin layer of ozone protecting the earth from the heat of the sun was disintegrating. Once
again, the world has come together with the common thesis that something must be done. At
the Belfast Congress, the environment is one of the three subthemes and liberals will have
the chance to debate the urgency of climate change in general and for their own countries
and regions in particular. The three esteemed panelists will also discuss issues such as the
rising importance of environmental planning, innovative sources of energy and dealing with
developing energy crises.

Theme Rapporteur: Dzhevdet Chakarov

Presentation: Exhibition Centre, Friday 16 May, 16.00 to 17.00

Dr. Dzhevdet Chakarov is a surgeon. In 1986, he graduated

from the Medical University of Plovdiv, majoring in Medicine, and
specialising in General Surgery in 1991. He continued his studies
and specialised in Endoscopic and Endocrine Surgery in 2001
earning his degree in Health Management. Dr. Chakarov has
been re-elected member of the Central Operational Bureau of
the Movement for Rights and Freedoms party in Bulgaria since
1996. Since 2001, he has been responsible for MRFs
international policy and the partys relations with the European
Liberal Democrats (ELDR) and the Liberal International. In May
2005, he was elected vice-president and member of the Bureau
of the Liberal International. After the 2005 Parliamentary
Elections, Dr. Chakarov was elected MP at the 40th National
Assembly, representing the second Multi-Seat Constituency of Burgas. He was member of
the MRFs parliamentary group and of the Environment and Water Ad-Hoc Committee. On
16 August 2005, Dr. Chakarov was elected Minister of Environment and Water of Bulgaria.

Panel Session on For a Society Where All Can Live, Organised in Cooperation with ALDE
Exhibition Centre, Saturday 17 May, 17.00 19.00

Chairman: Juli Minoves-Triquell

Juli Minoves-Triquell is a seasoned diplomat and politician from
Andorra. He is currently Minister of Culture and Higher Education,
spokesman for the government and member of the Bureau of
Liberal International. Having served in a variety of political and
diplomatic roles he has been Andorran Minister of Foreign
Affairs, Ambassador to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Northern Ireland and Vice President of the United Nations
General Assembly. He has also served in several other positions
both within the Andorran government and the United Nations. Mr
Triquell received his License Cum Laude in Economics and Social
Sciences from Fribourg University (Switzerland) in 1991. He
obtained an MA in Political Science in 1993 and a Master of
Philosophy in Political Science in 1994 both from Yale University
where he was also a PhD candidate.

18
Ms. Lena Ek
Lena EK was born in January 1958 in Mnsters, Sweden and
currently serves as an MEP for the Centrepartiet of Sweden in the
ALDE group of the European Parliament. She is a member of the
Temporary Committee on Climate Change as well as a member
of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy. She also
serves as a substitute on the Committee on the Environment, Public
Health and Food Safety. Before being elected to the European
Parliament, Ms. Ek held a number of positions in various levels of
Swedish government before finally serving as an MP from 1998-
2004. She has also served as a university lecturer in the Faculty
of Law at Lund University.

Professor Luiz Molion

Dr. Luiz Molion graduated in Meteorology and Environmental
Protection from the University of Wisconsin in the United States.
He completed further training at the Institute of Hydrology at
Wallingford, England in 1982. He is also associated with the
Institute of Advanced Studies in Berlin where he was a visiting
researcher from 1989 to 1990. Professor Molion has over 100
articles published in international journals and magazines
regarding the deforestation of the Amazon, its climatology and hydrology. He has also
written extensively on global and regional climatic changes, the depletion of the ozone
layer, and sources of renewable energy. He was also involved in two NASA studies
conducted in the Amazon, and worked with various subsidiaries of the United Nations. He is
currently a Professor and Director of the Institute of Atmospheric Sciences at the Federal
University of Alagoas in Brazil as well as being a member of the administrative group of the
Commission of Climatology within the World Meteorological Organisation as the South
American representative.

Tetsundo Iwakuni MP
Tetsundo Iwakuni was born in Osaka, Japan, on 11 July 1936.
He attended the Law Department of Tokyo University, where he
received his degree in 1959. Joining The Nikko Securities
Company, Iwakuni served in New York, London and Paris. In
1977 he joined Morgan Stanley and in 1984 he moved to Merrill
Lynch, after which he served as Chairman, President and CEO of
Merrill Lynch Japan. In 1989 he was elected Mayor of Izumo for
six years. Under Iwakuni's administration, Izumo received the
Japan Management Association's Grand Prize for the best
Marketing and Service Organization, and the Oriental Economist
Award for "Most Liveable City in Japan." Mr. Iwakuni was
elected as a member of the House of Representatives of Japan in
1996 and re-elected in 2000. In 2002, he served as Vice President of the Democratic Party
of Japan. Currently, Mr. Iwakuni belongs to the House of Representatives' Standing
Committee on Land, Infrastructure and Transport and serves as Director of International
Affairs of DPJ.

19
 Workshops and Sessions:
1. Workshop: African Environment Panel Session
Edinburgh Room, Friday May 16, 11.30 13.00

Though climate change and its detrimental effects on the environment are often a topic of
political debate in the developed world, it is often assumed that in the developing world
other issues occlude this problem. This is certainly not the case. It is in the developing world
where the tangible effects of climate change can truly be felt on a daily basis. From the
rapidly decreasing availability of potable water, to a distinct lack of arable land, climate
change is not only a concern in the developing world, but perhaps one of its largest
concerns. Dr. Ibrahim Haruna Lipumba is a Tanzanian economist, politician and chairman of
the Civic United Front (CUF) party. Dr. Lipumba will speak about how his party is working to
ensure the survival of Tanzanias natural treasures as well as the environmental stability of
the country as a whole. Reverend Wavel Ramkalawan is the current leader of the
Seychelles National Party. Serving as the Leader of the Opposition in the Seychelles since
1998, he will give a unique perspective on envrironmental issues faced by island nations
and steps that are being taken to ensure environmental sustainability.

Wavel Ramkalawan
Mr. Ramkalawan was born in Mah, on the principal island of
Seychelles. After completing his O-Level examinations, he pursued
his childhood ambition of becoming a priest and completed his
theological studies at St Paul's Theological College in Mauritius.
Ramkalawan was ordained a priest in 1985 and thereafter
pursued his studies in theology at Birmingham University. Returning
to Seychelles, he worked in several parishes in Seychelles, rising to
become priest-in-charge of the parish of Holy Saviour. It was his
work as a priest that led Wavel Ramkalawan to politics. Through
his work, he came into contact with many people who had been the
subject of harassment, victimization, imprisonment or other negative
actions because of their opposition to the one-party state, or simply because their activities
or those of family members had aroused the suspicion of the authorities. Since 1998, Rev.
Ramkalawan has served as Leader of the Opposition of the Seychelles National Party.

Ibrahim Haruna Lipumba

Dr. Lipumba (born 6 June 1952) is a Tanzanian economist,
politician and chairman of the Civic United Front (CUF) party.
Professor Lipumba, born in the Tabora region of Tanzania, and
holding a doctorate in Economics from Stanford University is a
prominent scholar having served as a professor of economics.
He has held a number of positions in the field of education, such
as university Professor both in the United States and at home.
He has been a freelance economist, having been the economic
adviser to the Ugandan government in the late 80s to early
90s. Professor Lipumba has held the position of Chairman of
Tanzania's main opposition party, the Civic United Front from
1995 to present. He has also contested every presidential election in Tanzania since the
country instituted a multiparty system in the early 1990s. Running as the CUF presidential
candidate in the 14 December 2005 elections, Lipumba finished second to Jakaya Kikwete
of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party.

20
2. Liberal Think Tank Workshop: liberal perspectives on migration
Dublin 1 & 2, Friday May 16, 11.30 13.00
Migration is a burning issue in the modern world. It has impact both on countries of origin of
migrants, as well as on their host countries. For liberals, the rights of individuals are focus
points when discussing migration. In this seminar, emphasis is placed on examples about the
impact on individuals rights because of migration in a variety of countries.

Chairman: Professor Ingemund Hgg

Ingemund Hgg is a professor at Uppsala university and chairman
of the scientific committee of the Swedish liberal think tank the
Bertil Ohlin Institute. He is the co-coordinator of the liberal
network of think tanks in the Liberal International family. He has
studied in Pittsburgh and Berkeley, been a visiting scholar at
Stanford University and was a Professor of Management at the
European Institute for Advanced Studies in Management (EIASM),
Brussels (1977-1978). Professor Hggs research interests within
the field of corporate governance include corporate governance
effects of foreign ownership in Swedish corporations and
institutional ownership in Swedish industry. Professor Hgg holds a
Master of Science in Industrial Administration (GSIA), from
Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh). He holds a licentiate degree (equivalent to a PhD)
from the Stockholm School of Economics and is a Docent at Uppsala University.

Speakers
Alasdair Murray
Alasdair Murray is the director of CentreForum, the UK
liberal think tank which seeks to develop evidenced based
long term political solutions to the problems facing Britain. His
most recent publications include: Globalisation: a liberal
response; In the balance: coalition and minority government
in Britain and abroad; and From boom to bust? Fertility
ageing and demographic change. Previously, he was deputy
director at the Centre for European Reform writing widely on
European politics and economics. He also served as the
Brussels correspondent for The Times. He will be presenting his
report on Does Britain need a population policy?

Thierry Coosemans is elected as the Board member of the newly formed

European umbrella think tank European Liberal Forum (ELF) in January 2008.
He will make a brief presentation on the tasks of ELF.

Thomas Straubhaar is Professor at Hamburg University and is the

President of the Hamburg Institute of International Economies (HWWI)
and director of the World Economy Institute in Hamburg. He has
recently published a report on migration for the Liberal Institute in
Germany.

21
3. Friedrich Naumann Foundation Regional Networks Roundtable:
Retreat of Freedom and Weakening Governance: How do we
safeguard democracy worldwide?
Dublin 1 & 2, Saturday 17 May 2007, 9.00-13.00

Various democratic indices such as that of Freedom House, the Bertelsman Transformation
Index, and the Global Integrity Index note the so-called democratic recession or the
weakening of democratic institutions in the last few years in countries around the world.
Apart from the outlier states such as Burma or Zimbabwe, countries like Russia, Italy, Kenya,
Singapore, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Venezuela, Thailand, the Philippines, are in democratic
retreat. In these countries, democracy is increasingly undermined by corporate wealth, the
lack of free press, corrosive patronage and populist practices.

In the 1920s Woodrow Wilson said that the world must be made safe for democracy. At
a time of growing threats to democracy and freedom in various parts of the world, the
challenge is how to make democracy safe for the world. This calls for greater cooperation
of programs and ideals, as well as deeper ties forged between and among like-minded
democratic groups, parties and networks regionally and globally. The building of regional
networks of liberal democratic parties has proved to be an important driver for democratic
change and sustaining the work of strengthening human rights protection, the rule of law and
democracy. Regional networks can serve as a pressure point for reform in societies that flirt
with or remain tied to authoritarian practices.

Presiding chairman: Hubertus von Welck

Mr. Hubertus von Welck is the Regional Director for East and Southeast
Asia of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Liberty based in Bangkok,
Thailand. From 1998 to 2005 he was the FNF Regional Director for
South Asia based in Delhi, India. He has worked in the FNF head office in
Germany as Head of the Human Resources, Assistant to the Deputy
Chairman and Head of the International Affairs Program. He has also
worked as FNF Project Director in Zimbabwe and South Africa, and
Program Officer of the Africa Project.

3.1 First session - Status of Freedom and Democracy

What is the state of freedom and democracy in your country today? What holds back the
trajectory of democratization, or what is driving the retreat of freedom? In what ways has
this democratic retreat or democratic pushback manifested in different regions? What are
the international implications of this democratic retreat?

First session chairman: Dr. Rajiva Wijesinha

Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha is the Secretary General of the Secretariat for
Coordinating the Peace Process and former President of the Liberal
Party of Sri Lanka and a Vice President of Liberal International. He is a
Senior Professor of Languages at the University of Sabaragamuwa.
After his first degree at University College Oxford, he moved to Corpus
Christi College, Oxford as an EK Chambers Student and obtained a BPhil
in English and a doctorate on the subject of women and marriage in the
early Victorian novel. His recent works include Declining Sri Lanka
(2007) and Political Principles and their Practice in Sri Lanka (2005).

22
Speakers
Hon. Sam Rainsy MP, Eduardo Montealegre, Ibrahim Lipumba and Tetsundo Iwakuni.
You will find the biographies of these speakers elsewhere in this booklet.

3.2 Second session - Safeguarding democracy: Strategies and Liberal

Solutions
How do we safeguard democracy? What needs to be done domestically and
internationally? What are the sectors we need to engage and how do we communicate our
message to them? What are the ways to counter the retreat of democracy and refocus
efforts towards strengthening institutions and upholding democratic values? How do we
secure these values as members of liberal political parties and regional networks?

Second session Chairman: Ambassador Kasit Piromya

Kasit Piromya is the Director of International Affairs of the
Democrat Party of Thailand and advisor to the party leader, Mr.
Abhisit Vejjajiva. He is the Deputy Prime Minister of the Shadow
Government. He was the former Ambassador of the Kingdom of
Thailand to the United States from 2004 to 2005. He obtained his
Bachelors degree in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown
University in 1968 and a Diploma in International Relations at the
Institute of Social Studies in The Hague, the Netherlands in 1971.
His previous postings as Thai Ambassador include the following
countries: the Russian Federation, the Peoples Republic of
Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, the Federal Republic of Germany, and Japan.

Speakers
Mr. Otto Guevara
Mr. Guevara co-founded Movimiento Libertario in 1994 and was
elected to Parliament in 1998 and served until 2002. He became a
presidential candidate in 2002 for Movimiento Libertario in which he
obtained 6 of the 57 legislative seats. At present, he is President of
Movimiento Libertario. Mr. Guevara graduated from University of
Costa Rica with a degree in Law. He received an MA in Business
Management, specialising in International Business at the National
University, and a second MA in Law, with a specialisation in Conflict
Resolution from Harvard University.

Hon. Graham Watson, MEP. For a biography, please see page 12.

Dr. J. R. Nereus O. Acosta, PhD

Dr. Nereus Acosta is the Secretary General of the Council of Asian
Liberals and Democrats and the former Secretary General of the Liberal
Party of the Philippines. He was a 3-term representative of Bukidnon
province in Northern Mindanao to the House of Representatives, and was
the principal author of the Clean Air Act that has become a model of
environmental legislation in Asia. Dr. Acosta recently served as Chairman
of the Committee on Ecology and Vice-Chairman of the Committees on
Science and Technology, Human Rights, and Foreign Relations of the
House of Representatives.

23
3.3 Third session - Development of Regional Networks
What were the best lessons learned in each organizations programs and activities? What
do these organizations contribute to their members and to the society? What do we need
from each other as regional liberal networks?

Third session Chair Bi-khim Hsiao is a former elected Member of the

Legislative Yuan (LY) and co-chair of the Foreign Relations Committee
of Taiwan. She is Director of the Department of International Affairs
for the Democratic Progressive Party and served as the Director of
International Affairs for the Frank Hsieh 2008 Presidential Campaign.
She served as the Secretary General of the Council of Asian Liberals
and Democrats from 2004 to 2005, and was also elected Treasurer of
Liberal International in 2003. Ms. Hsiao is a Vice President of LI, a
position she held since being elected as the LI Bureaus youngest
member at its 53rd Congress in Sofia, Bulgaria.

4. Workshop: Cost of Conflict

Exhibition Center, Saturday 17 May, 2008, 9.30 11.00

The Strategic Foresight Group (SFG), a think-tank based in India, reports on costs of conflict
between India-Pakistan and in Sri Lanka. It has generated a groundswell of public debate
in South Asia. A meeting of senior political leaders at the House of Lords in London convened
by Lord Alderdice, the President of LI, in June 2007 recommended, at the suggestion of the
Arab League, that SFG should undertake a study on the cost of conflict in the Middle East.
The concept of cost of conflict is very comprehensive. It includes military, humanitarian,
diplomatic, social, political, economic, environmental, psychological and other costs and
potential benefits of peace. The project on the cost of conflict in the Middle East is an
innovative approach to engage people of the Middle East in collaboratively assessing
future risks, at a time when there has been complete failure to engage the parties in a
negotiating process to find lasting solutions to the conflict.

Speakers
Sundeep Waslekar
Mr. Waslekar is the President of the Strategic Foresight Group, a think-
tank based in India with global outreach. Since its inception in 2002, the
Strategic Foresight Group, under his leadership, has advised governments
around the world and produced scenarios and innovative policy concepts
that have been discussed in august bodies including the Indian Parliament,
the European Parliament, the UK House of Commons, the United Nations
Alliance of Civilizations, the Madrid +15 Initiative, Oxford University, the
World Bank, the League of Arab States, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the
World Economic Forum, the Swedish Defence Commission, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign
Affairs and others. Mr. Waslekar was educated at Oxford University.

Ilmas Futehally
Ms. Futehally is Executive Director and Vice President of Strategic Foresight Group. She is
the Principal Author of the SFG report on Global Security and Economy: Emerging Trends
2008 (released in January 2008). She has been a member of SFG delegations for
consultations with Heads of Governments and Foreign Ministers of several countries on
global terror and extremism. She was the rapporteur of two international roundtables on

24
Constructing peace, deconstructing terror held at the European Parliament. She was a
member of the team that created key policy concepts for the global research report An
Inclusive World: In which the West, Islam and the Rest have a stake.

5. Workshop: International Network of Liberal Women (INLW)

Roundtable discussion: Women in Peace Processes
Copenhagen 2, Saturday May 17, 9.30 11.00,
The International Network of Liberal Women (INLW) has chosen this theme because women
in particular and children are victims of conflicts and wars. For women, mutual
understanding, peaceful co-existence and non-violence in resolving differences are deeply
engrained and therefore women have to be guaranteed equal participation of conflict
management, conflict resolution, post-conflict peace-building and conflict prevention. This
roundtable will show different approaches in conflict management and conflict resolution.
The different experiences which will be exposed will give different perspectives on the
problems related to overcoming conflict and to create the basis for positive peace building
towards reconciliation and mediation programs.

Chairwoman: Joaquima Alemany

Mss Alemany is the President of the International Network of Liberal
Women (INLW) and a Vice-President of Liberal International. She is also
a former Member of the Catalan Parliament.

Speakers
Kandia Camara is the President of the Womens organisation of
Rassemblement Dmocratique Rpublicain (RDR) of the Ivory Coast. She
is also a Vice-President of the International Network of Liberal Women
(INLW).

Saumura Tioulong
Ms. Tioulung is a Member of Parliament representing the Sam Rainsy
Party in Cambodia. She is a member of the CALD Executive and the
Womens Group. Ms Tioulong has a university degree in Business and
Political Science that she received from Paris University. She was director
of two banks in Paris before returning to Cambodia in 1992 and serving
as deputy governor of the National Bank of Cambodia.

Naomi Long
Ms. Long is a Member of Parliament and the Deputy Speaker in Northern
Ireland. She is a Queen's University of Belfast (QUB) certified civil
engineer by vocation and held a three year long research position at the
QUB. Ms Long has been a member of the Belfast City Council since
2001and has been a member of several boards.

25
 ft Agenda,
Executive Committee Meeting Draft Agenda
180th Executive Committee Meeting
180th Executive Committee Meeting
Thursday, 15 May 2008, 16.00-18.00
Liberal International 55th Congress
Edinburgh Room, Hotel Europa,
Belfast, Northern Ireland

Opening
1. Apologies for Absence
2. Adoption of Agenda
3. Minutes of the 179th Executive Committee Meeting, Hamburg, Germany
4. Report of the Secretary General
5. Financial Reports
6.1. January-December 2007
6.2. Budget 2008
6. Membership Issues
7.1. Applications for Full Membership Status

ADF-ADR, Burkina Faso

Alliance des Liberts, Morocco

Centre Party, Sweden

Movement for the Progress of Madagascar, Madagascar

Parti Social Libral, Tunesia

Seychelles National Party, Seychelles

7.2. Applications for Observer Membership Status

Africa

Alliance pour le Renouveau du Congo, ARC, DR Congo

Union pour la Reconstruction du Congo, URC, DR Congo

Union des Forces Republicaines, UFR, Guinea

The Americas

Partido Justicia Nacional, Peru

The Middle East

Democratic Front Party, Egypt

Asia

Democrat Party, Thailand

26
 Europe

Liberal Democratic Party, LDP, Serbia

Radicali Italiani, Italy

7.3 Disaffiliations

For the reason that they have ceased to exist:

Liberal Democratic Party, Kenya

LSCG, Montenegro

Civic Alliance/GSS, Serbia

Social Liberal Party, Moldova

Due to non-payment of membership fees for two years or more:

Liberal Party of Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka

LLS, Lithuania

7. Prize for Freedom 2008

8. Forthcoming Events 2008
9.1.LI-ALDE Seminar on Zimbabwe, Brussels, Belgium
9.2 Executive Committee, Bangkok, Thailand, December 2008
9. Isaiah Berlin Lecture 2008
10. Human Rights Committee
11. Country Reports
12. Any Other Business
13. Date and Place of Next Meeting

27
 Administrative Session Draft Agenda
Administrative Session
Friday, 16 May 2008, 14.15-15.30
Liberal International 55th Congress
Exhibition Centre, Hotel Europa,
Belfast, Northern Ireland

1. Opening
2. Apologies for Absence
3. Adoption of Agenda
4. Adoption of Standing Orders
5. Approval of Minutes of the 54th Congress, November 2006, Marrakech, Morocco
6. Appointment of Electoral Scrutineers
7. Affiliations and Disaffiliations

7.1. Applications for Full Membership Status

ADF-ADR, Burkina Faso*

Alliance des Liberts, Morocco*

Centre Party, Sweden*

Mouvement for the Progress of Madagascar, Madagascar*

Parti Social Libral, Tunesia*

Seychelles National Party, Seychelles*

7.2. Applications for Observer Membership Status

Africa

Alliance pour le Renouveau du Congo, ARC, DR Congo*

Union pour la Reconstruction du Congo, URC, DR Congo*

Union des Forces Republicaines, UFR, Guinea*

The Americas

Partido Justicia Nacional, Peru*

The Middle East

Parti Nationale Dmocrat, Morocco

Democratic Front Party, Egypt*

Asia

Civic Will Party, Mongolia

Democrat Party, Thailand*

Europe

Alian Moldova Noastr, Moldova

28

Liberal Vannin Party, Isle of Man

ZARES, Slovenia

Liberal Democratic Party, Serbia*

Radicali Italiani, Italy*

* Subject to the approval of the Executive Committee

7.3. Disaffiliation

For the reason that they have ceased to exist:

Shinui, Israel

Liberal Democratic Party, LDP, Kenya*

LSCG, Montenegro*

Civic Alliance/GSS, Serbia*

Social Liberal Party, Moldova*

Due to non-payment of membership fees for two years or more:

United Democratic Front, UDF, Malawi

Liberal Party of Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka*

LLS, Lithuania*

* Subject to the approval of the Executive Committee

8. Report of the Secretary General

9. Prize for Freedom 2008
10. Election of Officers

President

Deputy President

Vice Presidents
10.1. Presentation of candidates for the Bureau

Vice Presidents on the Bureau (6)

Treasurers (2)
11. Any Other Business
12. Date and Place of Next Meeting
13. Closing

29
 Executive Committee Meeting Draft Minutes
180th Executive Committee Meeting
Friday, November 16, 14.00-17.00
Hamburg, Germany

1. Opening
Liberal International President, John, Lord Alderdice, thanked all for attending the Hamburg
Executive Meeting and LI 60th Anniversary event.
2. Apologies for Absence
Apologies for absence had already been made to the Secretary General ahead of the
meeting, and a list of participants is available from the LI secretariat.
3. Adoption of Agenda
Add in agenda point 11: Report of the Human Rights Committee.
The agenda was adopted as amended.
4. Minutes of the 179th Executive Committee Meeting Cancun, Mexico, 28 April 2006

The minutes were adopted without amendments.

5. Report of the Secretariat
The Executive Committee endorsed Emil Kirjas as new LI Secretary General. He expressed
gratitude for the opportunity having commenced in the role of Secretary General in mid
September 2007. He elaborated on the work in the past two months that included meetings
with the Bureau, the member parties and partners such as ALDE, ELDR, NDI etc. The activities
and situation of staff were outlined in the Secretariat report.
6. Finances
6.1 Accounts Jan-Dec 2006
Treasurer, Josep Soler, presented the audited financial report for January-December 2006.
6.2 Budget 2008
Due to the major changes in the Secretariat the Treasurer proposed a revised version of the
2007 Budget. The 2008 Budget will be proposed at the next EC meeting, in line with the
new version of the 2007 Budget and the final accounts for 2007.
7. Membership Issues
7.1 Disaffiliation due to non-payment membership fees
The following parties were proposed for disaffiliation:
Shinui, Israel
United Democratic Front (UDF), Malawi
The Secretariat was advised to contact UDF and seek a suggestion from the indebted party.
7.2 Observer Membership Status
The following parties were granted observer member status:

30
 Liberal Vannin Party, Isle of Man
Alian Moldova Noastr, Moldava
Civic Will Party, Mongolia
ZARES, Slovenia
Parti National Dmocrate, Morocco

Decisions on observer status was postponed for the following parties:

Partido Justicia Nacional, Peru no representative present

Parti Ivorien des Citoyens Democrates, Ivory Coast no representative
Alliance pour le Renouveau de Congo, DR Congo decision of Executive and Bureau

8. Prize for Freedom 2008

President Lord Alderdice raised a concern on behalf of the Bureau requesting that more
nominations for LI Prize for Freedom were welcome, in line with previously agreed criteria.
Awarding the Prize to leaders of member parties is to be regarded as appropriate only in
very exceptional cases. The Secretariat is asked to circulate a renewed call for nominations
together with clear requirements for the nominees.
9. Forthcoming events
9.1 Human Rights Conference, Taipei, Taiwan 7-9 December, Taipei, Taiwan
Program was provided and all members were informed and invited by the Bureau and the
host party.
9.2 Liberal Thinkers conference and Executive Committee Meeting, Hamburg, Germany, 16
-17 November, 2007
Following the Executive meeting an award reception for the Prize for Freedom was to be
held. The LI 60th Anniversary event was held in connection with a Liberal Thinkers conference
and a gala dinner on 17th November.
9.3 Congress theme and venue, spring 2008
The Congress is scheduled for 15-17 May 2008 in Belfast, UK. The Congress theme will be
Our Shared Future, focusing on non-violent society, inclusive society and climate change.
10. Isaiah Berlin Lecture
IB Lecture 2007 will be organised in conjunction with the LI Human Rights Conference in
Taipei, and the speaker will be Lord Alderdice. LI invited the Dalai Lama to be the guest
speaker for IB Lecture 2008. The lecture shall be held in cooperation with FNF in Berlin,
Germany.
11. Report of the Human Rights Committee.
Henning Nielsen presented his report to the Executive Committee.
12. Political Situation in Germany
Dr. Wolfgang Gerhardt, Chairman of Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Liberty presented
a report on the political situation in Germnay.
13. Resolutions/Country Reports
An Urgency Resolution on Pakistan, proposed by the Bureau of Liberal International was
adopted.

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 Resolution on human trafficking proposed by the International Network of Liberal
Women was adopted.
Resolution on Venezuela proposed by the Libertad I Democracia was adopted.
Resolution on Kosovo proposed by the LI British Group was withdrawn. The Executive
endorsed the ELDR resolution on Kosovo adopted at the ELDR Berlin Congress in 2007
and requested the Bureau to respond with an appropriate political statement after the
end of the Pristina-Belgrade dialogue.
Statements on Zimbabwe, the situation in Cote d'Ivoire, and the Democratic Republic of
the Congo were tabled by member parties.

Various countries reports were made by party representatives.

14. Any Other Business

There was no other business.

15. Date and Place of the next meeting

The next Executive Meeting is scheduled for 15 -17 May, in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

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 Administrative Session Draft Minutes
Friday, 10 November 2006, 14:00 15:30hrs
Salle des Ambassadeurs, Palais du Congrs
Marrakech, Morocco

1. Opening
Liberal International President John, Lord Alderdice, welcomed all to Marrakech and
opened the Administrative Session.

2. Apologies for Absence

A list of apologies for absence and a list of participants to the Congress is available from
the LI secretariat in London.

3. Adoption of Agenda
The Agenda was adopted as proposed.

4. Adoption of Standing Orders

The Standing Orders were adopted without amendment.

5. Approval of Minutes of the 53rd Congress, May 2005, Sofia, Bulgaria

The Minutes were adopted as proposed.

6. Appointment of Scrutineers
Scrutineers were elected by the Congress to assist with the elections.

7. Affiliations and Disaffiliations

7.1 The following parties were granted Full Membership:

- ANADER, Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Partido Solidaridad Democrtica, Cuba
- Partido Liberal de Cuba, Cuba
- Movimiento Libertario, Costa Rica
- Liberal Party of Kosovo, Kosovo

7.2 The following parties were granted Observer Status:

Africa:
Alliance for Democracy and Federation- Africa Democratic Rally, Burkina Faso
Liberal Democratic Party, Kenya
Movement for the Progress of Madagascar, Madagascar
Citizens Party for the Renewal of Mali, Mali
Alliance of Liberties, Morocco
Americas:
New Alliance, Mexico
Nicaraguan Liberal Alliance, Nicaragua
Asia:
Sam Rainsy Party, Cambodia
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 Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia Party, Malaysia
Europe:
Republican Party of Georgia, Georgia
Progressive Democrats, Ireland
Italian Liberal Group, Italy
[Our Moldova, Moldova: postponed through non-attendance]
Social Liberal Party of Moldova, Moldova
Civic Alliance, Serbia
Centre Party of Sweden, Sweden

7.3 Applications for Individual Membership Status

Mr. Martin Lee, Hong Kong

7.4 Applications for Cooperating Organisation Status

RELIAL

7.5 The Congress confirmed the decision of the Executive Committee to disaffiliate the
following parties:
Partido Liberal Nacional, Panama
ANO, Slovakia

Financial Reports, January September 2006 and Budget 2007

Approved as presented.

8. Report of the Secretary General

Secretary General, Jasper Veen, undertook to send out his report by email.

9. Prize for Freedom 2007

It was confirmed that the prize would be awarded to Aleksandar Milinkovic.

10. Election of Officers

The Congress elected its Vice Presidents and scrutineers to assist with elections.

10.1 Presentation of candidates for the Bureau

- John, Lord Alderdice was elected as President.
- Hans van Baalen was elected as Deputy President
- Vice Presidents for the Bureau: Dzhevdet Chakarov, Wolfgang Gerhardt, Bi-Khim Hsiao,
Charles Kennedy, Juli Minoves, Mohand Laenser, were elected.
-Treasurers: Josep Soler and Alexander Shishlov were elected.

11. Any other Business

No other issues were raised.

12. Date and Place of the Next Meeting

The next Congress will take place during the second half of 2008. The date and venue to
be decided by the Executive Committee.

13. Closing
Lord Alderdice closed the meeting and thanked all the delegates and staff for their work.

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