Bernard Kouchner

Bernard Kouchner

Bernard Kouchner, a medical doctor by training, is the co-founder and former president of Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders). Kouchner, the first person to challenge the Red Cross’s stance of neutrality and silence in wars and massacres, has played an important role in international humanitarian efforts for more than 20 years. As France’s minister of health and humanitarian affairs, he convinced the UN to accept “the right to interfere” resolution, and after devastating civil wars in the Balkans, he served as a special representative to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan in Kosovo. He is the author of several books and the co-founder of the news magazines L’Evénement and Actuel. He is the recipient of several human rights awards, including the Dag Hammarskjold Prize and the Prix Europa.