Ana Palacio profile 800x600 womanleader GWLvoices
Her voice

“One must not forget the unique role played by African women in the question of poverty eradication in Africa. In fact, African women have placed themselves in the frontline despite the many difficulties they endure.” 

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BIO

Ms. Ana Palacio is an international lawyer and founder of Palacio y Asociados (Madrid, Brussels and Washington DC). Between 1994 and 2002, Ms. Palacio was a Member of the European Parliament. In 2002, Ms. Palacio became the first woman to serve as Foreign Affairs Minister of Spain (2002-2004). She further served as Senior Vice President and General Counsel of the World Bank Group, as well as Secretary General of the ICSID-International Center for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (2006-2008). Ms. Palacio was a member of the Consejo de Estado del Reino de España (2012-2018), as well as a member of the Executive Committee and Senior Vice-President for International Affairs of the nuclear energy leader AREVA (2008-2009), and subsequently held different positions within the EU. 

Ms. Palacio currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Atlantic Council of the United States, and is a member of the governing bodies of several research centers and public institutions, including the MD Anderson Cancer Center.