Her Excellency Myriam Spiteri Debono, President of Malta Appointed Chair of the Council of Women World Leaders

WASHINGTON, D.C., November 1, 2024 — The Council of Women World Leaders today announced the appointment of Her Excellency, Myriam Spiteri Debono, President of the Republic of Malta as Chair of the Council.

“We are very pleased to welcome Her Excellency Myriam Spiteri Debono in her new role as Chair of the Council of Women World Leaders,” said Laura Liswood, Secretary General of the Council. “Her experience and commitment to closing the gender gap, including as Chairperson of the Cooperatives Board and member of the Gender Equality Commission, and as Secretary General and President of the Labour Women’s League, will greatly benefit the Council’s work.”

Her Excellency Myriam Spiteri Debono was elected President of Malta and approved unanimously by the House of Representatives by virtue of a Parliamentary Resolution on March 27, 2024. Her Excellency is the third woman and the first Gozitan (from the Maltese Island of Gozo) to serve as President of Malta. Myriam Spiteri Debono was Chairperson of the Cooperatives Board, and she served as a member of the Gender Equality Commission when this commission was first set up. As a member of the Gender Equality Commission, she was especially active on the sub-committee dealing with complaints regarding discrimination and/or harassment. She also served as Secretary General and President of the Labour Women’s League for many years. As President of the Labour Women’s League and as Speaker, she participated in numerous conferences abroad and, various times, she was nominated by the participants to preside over the conference.

Upon accepting the appointment President Myriam Spiteri Debono said, “It is a great honor to be leading the Council of Women World Leaders, the only organization in the world solely dedicate to women heads of state and government. I am certain that with Council’s support and the support of many great women around the world, we can continue to work towards creating a robust movement, and make further progress.’

As Chair, President Myriam Spiteri Debono will lead and oversee the work program of the Council of Women World Leaders. She will also manage the Council’s network of current and former women presidents and prime ministers, which will provide a forum for these leaders to explore ways to further reduce gender-based inequalities and share solutions to build better societies.

President Myriam Spiteri Debono assumes the leadership position previously held by Her Excellency, Katrín Jakobsdóttir, former Prime Minister of Iceland. Her appointment is effective November 1, 2024.

About the Council of Women World Leaders:  The Council of Women World Leaders is a network of 91 current and former presidents and prime ministers. It is the only organization in the world dedicated to women heads of state and government. The Council of Women World Leaders Secretariat is hosted at the United Nations Foundation in Washington, D.C. and is an affiliate of the UN Foundation.