Nominated on 15 September 2006 by Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Click here to read her statement upon her nomination.

Candidacy withdrawn in a statement on 5 October 2006.

Country: Latvia

Areas of Expertise: Click here for official biography

Past Initiatives/Past Policy Agenda: Worked to establish a Western-style democracy and market economy in Latvia while serving as president

Education: Studied at the University of Toronto and McGill University, receiving a PHD in psychology in 1965

Current Positions: President of Latvia (1999-present); Special envoy to the UN Secretary General on the reform of the United Nations (2005-present).

Past Positions:

• Head of the Institute of Latvia
• Professor of psychology
• Vice-Chair of the Science Council of Canada

General Information:

• Spent childhood in German refugee camps, grew up in Canada

Statements/Essays by Vaira Vike-Freiberga

• Statement by the Press Centre of the President, 10/6/06

• “Developing Goals” - Opinion-Editorital in New York Times, 9/28/06
• Address at the 61st Session of the UN General Assembly, 9/19/06
• Statement accepting her nomination, 9/15/06
• Latvia’s perspective on international peace, security and development, 7/11/06
• Address to a Joint Session of the United States Congress, 6/7/06
• Speech at the US-Baltic Foundation Celebration of the 15 years of Regained Baltic Independence, 3/4/06
• Speech at Warsaw Summit, 05/17/05
• Address to the Millennium Assembly of the Organisation of the United Nations, 9/6/00

Articles on Vaira Vike-Freiberga

• Latvia’s president a Canadian success story – CTV Canada, 9/27/06
• Latvian candidate for SG says women must break into race to replace Annan – International Herald Tribune, 9/18/06
• Vike-Freiberga says she’s a candidate for U.N. Job – Latvians Online, 9/15/06
• Baltic states present Latvian president as candidate for next UN chief – Yahoo News, 9/15/06
• Latvian president to run for UN secretary general – Yahoo News, 9/16/06
• Can the Iron Lady of the Baltics Save the United Nations? – Center for UN Reform Education, 4/12/06
• Latvian Plays Gender Card in UN Race – Bangkok Post
• Latvian president bids for next UN chief – China View, 9/15/06