Global Food Safety

Biography

Under his administration Ghana recorded the fastest growth in its history, attaining a middle-income status by 2006, GDP growth reached a record 8.4%. He introduced the National Health Insurance Scheme with free maternal care for pregnant women, Free School Feeding program, and best agriculture practices that doubled cocoa production to all-time high. As chairperson of the African Union, he supervised the peaceful resolution of the electoral conflict in Kenya. Also, chairing the Economic Community of West African States for two terms, he led the successful negotiations that brought peace to Sierra Leone, Liberia and Cote d’Ivoire. In 2011 he was named joint-winner of the World Food Prize with former Brazilian President Lula da Silva. He studied at Oxford University and was called to the Bar at Lincoln Inn, London (1959-1961)

Research Interest

In retirement, he has set up The John A. Kufuor Foundation on Leadership, Governance and Development and serves as UN Special Envoy on Climate Change; Global Ambassador against Hunger for the UN World Food Programme; Chairman of the UN Interpeace Program; Global Envoy for Neglected Tropical Diseases Alliance. He is also President of the Italian development organization, Alliance for Africa; member of Club de Madrid; director of Brenthurst Foundation of South Africa, the Leon Sullivan Foundation, and the Netherlands Development Corporation and a member of the Global Citizenship Commission tasked with updating the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights.