WORLD LEADERS AT THE SUMMIT: PROFILES

PHILIPPINES President Rodrigo Duterte

Duterte was elected as the 16th President of the Philippines on May 9, 2016.

In 1988, he was elected mayor in Davao City and has remained in the position for the past 22 years, aside from being a onetime congressman of the first district of Davao City from 1998 to 2001, and a vice mayor to his daughter, Sara, from 2010 to 2013.

As the first President from Mindanao, he is known for fiercely campaigning against corruption and for his war on drugs.

LAOS Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith

Sisoulith became the seventh prime minister of Laos in April 2016 after serving as deputy prime minister for 15 years starting in 2001.

Upon acquiring his history of international relations doctorate from the Russian Academy of Sciences Moscow, he went on to become deputy minister of foreign affairs and minister of labour and social welfare.

Sisoulith also held other positions such as president of the state planning committee affairs.

SINGAPORE Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong

In 2004, Lee Hsien Loong became Singapore’s prime minister. Having served in the Singapore Armed Forces, he previously held various government positions, such as deputy prime minister, second minister for defense and chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore.

Among his greatest accomplishments are the Skills Future movement, which provides opportunities for Singaporeans to develop their life skills, and the Smart Nation initiative.

CANADA Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

Trudeau became Canada’s 23rd prime minister in November 2015 making him Canada’s 23rd prime minister.

Prior to entering politics, Trudeau was frequently invited to speak at conferences and various events on youth and environmental issues. He was the chair of Katimavik, where he spoke to young people about the value of community service and volunteerism, and a board member of the Canadian Avalanche Foundation.

NEWZEALAND Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern

Ardern took office as the 40th prime minister—and the youngest in over 150 years at 37—of New Zealand on Oct. 26. Her political ascent from joining the Parliament in 2008 to becoming the Labour Party’s youngest leader represented a remarkable rise for women in politics.

Her portfolio as minister include art, culture and heritage; child poverty reduction; and national security.

BRUNEI DARUSSALAM Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah

As the 29th sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, Bolkiah is the Supreme Executive Authority in Brunei. He is also the prime minister and minister of defense, finance and foreign affairs and trade.

In 1961, Bolkiah was installed as the crown prince at the age of 15. Following the voluntary abdication of his late father, Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, he succeeded the throne in October 1967 and was crowned in August 1968.

MALAYSIA Prime Minister Najib Razak

On April 3, 2009, Najib was sworn in as Malaysia’s sixth prime minister, succeeding Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. Prior to entering politics, Najib worked as an executive at the Petronas oil company. At the age of 23, he was elected as a member of Parliament in 1976, following the death of his father, Malaysia’s second Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak Hussein.

Among Najib’s significant accomplishments are modernizing Malaysia’s armed forces and reforming the country’s education system.

THAILAND Prime Minister General Prayuth Chan-ocha

In August 2014, Prayuth was named the Prime Minister of Thailand.

He was the Royal Thai Army chief who declared martial law in May 2014 due to political turmoil after the leadership of former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra was ousted on nepotism charges. The martial law has since been lifted in April 2015.

CHINA Premier Li Keqiang

An English-speaking career bureaucrat, Li was installed as premier in March 2013.

A son of a party official in the poor eastern province of Anhui, Li rose up the ranks of the conservative Communist Youth League.

Li, who holds a law degree and a doctorate in rural economics, served as party leader in Henan in central China and Liaoning province in the northeast.

RUSSIA Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev

Dmitry Medvedev was appointed prime minister of the Russian Federation in 2012. He was the Russian president from 2008 to 2012.

Other government posts he held included first deputy prime minister, chief of staff of presidential executive office and chairman of the board of Gazprom. Medvedev, who has a doctorate degree in law, was an associate professor at St. Petersburg State University.

CAMBODIA Prime Minister Hun Sen

Hun Sen became the world’s youngest prime minister when he took office in January 1985 at the age of 32.

He has since then served several terms as the prime minister of Cambodia, making him one of the world’s longest-serving prime ministers.

One of the main leaders of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party, Hun Sen has been able to secure continuous terms using a combination of guile and brute force to stay in power.

MYANMAR State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi

A staunch advocate of democracy and human rights, Aung San Suu Kyi serves as Myanmar’s state counselor due to the constitution’s laws restricting her from running for president.

In her fight against the country’s previous military dictatorship,in she was placed under house arrest for more than 15 years.

Suu Kyi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991, among several other international awards. and the minister of foreign

VIET NAM President Tran Dai Quang

Tran Dai Quang was sworn in as President of Vietnam in April 2, 2016.

Among other positions he has held are minister of public security, secretary of Central Public Security Party Committee and he is a member of the Politburo of the 11th Party Central Committee.

EUROPEAN COUNCIL President Donald Tusk

Tusk is serving his second term as president of the European Council after being first elected in 2014.

Prior to his post, he was the longest-serving prime minister in democratic Poland since 2007. His term saw the continued economic growth of the country. In 1990s, he became member of the Parliament, including deputy speaker of the Senate. He was among the initiators of the Civic Platform party and became its leader in 2003.

SOUTH KOREA President Moon Jae-in

Moon, a son of refugees who fled North Korea during the war, was a human rights lawyer and served as chief of staff for the last liberal president, the late Roh Moo-hyun.

His victory in a special election held in May ended the monthlong leadership vacuum in South Korea after former President Park Geun-hye was impeached and arrested over a corruption scandal.

INDONESIA President Joko Widodo

Widodo, a former furniture exporter and entrepreneur, was elected as Indonesia’s president in July 2014.

Widodo’s humble beginnings coupled with his populist appeal and promises of change and anticorruption gained him international attention. Also known as Jokowi, Widodo began his political career with the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle when he was elected mayor of Solo in 2005. In 2012, Widodo ran for the position of Jakarta’s governor and won.

MYANMAR President Htin Kyaw

A close friend of State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, Htin Kyaw was elected president by Suu Kyi’s majority party in March 2016.

Prior to becoming president, Htin Kyaw worked as a teacher and later as a programmer/system analyst.

He also has held other government positions, such as deputy division chief in the Ministry of Industry, deputy director in the Foreign Economic Relations Department and Ministry of Planning and Treasury.

VIETNAM Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc

Nguyen Xuan Phuc was elected as the Prime Minister of Vietnam on July 26, 2016.

Among other positions he has held are head of the government’s Steering Committee for Crime Prevention and Control, vice chairman of the Central Steering Committee for Corruption Prevention, and chairman of the National Council for Education and Human Resources Department.

INDIA Prime Minister Narendra Modi

He was appointed prime minister in May 2014; since then he has advocated for an inclusive development for every Indian.

Some of his initiatives include launching three social security schemes for the citizens, mass movement for cleanliness across the country and use of digital technology to improve quality of life. He is considered India’s most techno-savvy leader, and connects to people via social media.

UNITED STATES President Donald Trump

Once considered a long shot, Trump became the 45th president of the United States after winning the elections in November 2016.

Trump ran a controversial campaign under the banner “Make America Great Again,” promising to boost the American economy, bringing American jobs back home, build a wall on the Mexican border and deport millions of illegal immigrants.

LAOS President Bounnhang Vorachith

In 2016, Vorachith was elected president of Laos and the general secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP). Due to Vorachith’s military background, he was able to rise up the political ranks from a mayor and party chief of the capital city of Vientiane to becoming a prime minister in 2001.

A member of the Political Bureau of the LPRP Central Committee and the LPRP Central Committee Secretriat, Vorachith went on to cofound the Lao People’s Democratic Republic in 1975

SINGAPORE President Halimah Yacob

In a controversial “walkover” election lacking any other eligible candidates, Halimah Yacob was sworn in as the eighth president of Singapore on September 2017.

As the first female president, she has shattered multiple political barriers and is committed to serving Singapore’s people of varying cultures, races and religions.

She was previously elected as a member of Parliament and has served as Singapore’s first female speaker of Parliament.

AUSTRALIA Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull

Turnbull was elected the 29th Prime Minister of Australia in September 2015. He was elected to Federal Parliament as the member for Wentworth in 2004.Turnbull has held various parliamentary positions including shadow treasurer, parliamentary secretary to the prime minister with responsibility for national water policy and minister for Environment and Water Resources.

Most recently, Turnbull was minister for communications from Sept. 18, 2013, to Sept. 21, 2015.

JAPAN Prime Minister Shinzo Abe

Abe has been Japan’s prime minister since December 2012 after his Liberal Democratic Party’s (LDP) landslide election win. He previously held the top post for a brief term from 2006 to 2007.

One of Abe’s notable campaigns is to push for companies and the government to hire and promote more women. A very popular figure, he was reelected without opposition to another term as LDP president last September.

UNITED NATIONS Secretary General Antonio Guterres

Guterres was appointed secretary general by the UN General Assembly in October 2016. In his remarks then, Guterres said that the United Nations must be ready to change in the face of challenges facing the world body.

Prior to this post, Guterres served as prime minister of Portugal and member of Parliament. He was also the UN High Commissioner for Refugees from June 2005 to December 2015.