Bernard Kouchner has a long and distinguished career internationally as a politician, diplomat, physician and humanitarian. He is the co-founder of Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders). From 2007 to 2010 he was France’s Minister of Foreign and European Affairs under the Sarkozy presidency. He is currently active in international conflict resolution efforts in Libya, Sri Lanka and Haiti.

But that summary hardly begins to describe the extraordinary background and influence M. Kouchner has had on French and European politics and policy. From 1988, he began his government career in Socialist governments, though he was not always a member of the socialist party. He became 'Secrétaire d'état', a lower position in the Cabinet, for Humanitarian Action  then Minister of Health in 1992 under Mitterrand’s  presidency. Later, he continued his political career in the European Government. He was also a cabinet member when Lionel Jospin became Prime Minister in 1997.

In 2000 he was appointed as the first UN Special Representative and Head of the UN Administration Mission in Kosvo. He leads UN efforts to create a new civil administration, replacing the Serbian one.

M. Kouchner has been a long time advocate of humanitarian intervention and has supported the European intervention in Libya.