Philippe Douste-Blazy – Keynote Speaker

Philippe Douste-Blazy is a United Nations official and former French centre-right politician. He has been Under-Secretary-General, Special Adviser on Innovative Financing for Development in the United Nations since 2008 and chairman of UNITAID since 2007.

UNITAID is an international organization which aims to help developing countries with access to medical treatment against pandemics such as AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. The organisation is made up of thirty countries and uses innovative financing. For example, through micro-solidarity contributions from activities that benefit from globalization (such as plane tickets, internet activity etc) UNITAID has raised more than 1.5 billion Euros in seven years.

He previously served as French Minister for Health (1993–1995 and 2004–2005), Minister of Culture (1995–1997) and as Foreign Minister in the cabinet of Dominique de Villepin (2005–2007). He was mayor of Lourdes 1989–2000 and mayor of Toulouse 2001–2004. Originally a member of the Centre of Social Democrats (CDS), the Christian Democrat component of the Union for French Democracy (UDF) party, he later joined the Union for Popular Movement (UMP).