Carlos Westendorp facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Carlos Westendorp
Westendorp in 2013
High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina
In office 18 June 1997 – 17 August 1999
Preceded by	Carl Bildt
Succeeded by	Wolfgang Petritsch
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office 18 December 1995 – 5 May 1996
Prime Minister	Felipe González
Preceded by	Javier Solana
Succeeded by	Abel Matutes
4th Secretary of State for the European Union
In office 16 March 1991 – 23 December 1995
Preceded by	Pedro Solbes
Succeeded by	Emilio Fernández-Castaño
Parliamentary offices Member of the European Parliament In office 20 July 1999 – 10 June 2003
Diplomatic posts Spain Ambassador to the United States In office 12 August 2004 – 21 August 2008 Preceded by Javier Rupérez Succeeded by Jorge Dezcallar de Mazarredo 1st Permanent Representative of Spain to the European Union In office 31 December 1985 – 16 March 1991 Preceded by Office established Succeeded by Camilo Barcia García-Villamil
Personal details
Born	Carlos Westendorp y Cabeza (1937-01-07) 7 January 1937 (age 88) Madrid, Spain
Political party	Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
Spouse	Amaya Westendorp
Children	3

Carlos Westendorp y Cabeza (born January 7, 1937) is a Spanish diplomat and former politician. He is known for his important roles in international relations. He served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Spain from 1995 to 1996. He also worked as the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1997 to 1999. In this role, he helped make sure the Dayton Peace Agreement was followed after the war in Bosnia.

Carlos Westendorp's Journey

Carlos Westendorp was born in Madrid, Spain, on January 7, 1937. He started his career in the Spanish Diplomatic Service in 1966. This means he worked for his country in other parts of the world.

Early Career and Europe

Westendorp spent many years helping Spain join the European Communities. This group later became the European Union.

• From 1979 to 1985, he worked at the Ministry of European Affairs. He helped lead the team that negotiated Spain's entry.
• In 1986, when Spain joined, he became its first Ambassador Permanent Representative. This meant he was Spain's top diplomat to the European Communities.
• He also led a group called the Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER) in 1989. This group helps prepare decisions for the European Union.

Working for the European Union

From 1991 to 1995, Westendorp was Spain’s Secretary of State for the European Union. He played a big part when Spain led the EU in 1995. During this time, important things happened:

• The Euro currency was planned.
• The Barcelona process was started, which aimed to improve relations with countries around the Mediterranean Sea.
• A special agreement with the United States was signed.

He also helped prepare for changes to EU treaties, which led to the Treaties of Amsterdam and Nice.

Minister and High Representative

In December 1995, Carlos Westendorp became Minister of Foreign Affairs. He held this job until May 1996. After that, he became Spain's Ambassador to the United Nations in New York.

From 1997 to 1999, he took on a very important role. He became the second High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina. This job gave him special powers, sometimes called "Bonn Powers." He could make decisions to help carry out the Dayton Agreement. This agreement was signed to bring peace after the war in Bosnia.

• He helped create new laws for citizenship.
• He introduced a new flag and national anthem for Bosnia and Herzegovina.
• He made important decisions to help the country move forward.

Later Roles and Current Work

In 1999, Westendorp was elected as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP). He represented the PSOE. He led the Parliament’s Committee on Industry, Trade, Energy and Research until 2003.

After that, he continued his diplomatic work:

• From 2004 to 2008, he was Ambassador to the United States of America.
• In 2010, he became Secretary-General of the Club de Madrid. This is a group of former presidents and prime ministers who work to promote democracy.

Today, Carlos Westendorp is a main advisor to Felipe González, a former Prime Minister of Spain. He also leads his own consulting company, Westendorp International S.L. He has written many articles and books about European affairs. He even won the Salvador de Madariaga Prize for Journalism. He has received many awards for his work, including the Great Cross of the Order of Charles III.

See also

In Spanish: Carlos Westendorp para niños