Vike-Freiberga, Vaira

Her Excellency Vaira Vike Freiberga is the President of Latvia and Special Envoy to the Secretary General of the United Nations on UN reform. Exiled from her homeland as a child, she spent the bulk of her life in Canada, earning three degrees and pursuing a distinguished cross-disciplinary academic career. First elected President in 1999 just a year after her return, she has played a critical role in ensuring Latvia’s inclusion into NATO and the European Union.