Haya Rashed Al-Khalifa (born October 18, 1952) () is a lawyer and diplomat from

Bahrain Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island country in West Asia. Situated on the Persian Gulf, it comprises a small archipelago of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands, centered on Bahrain Island, which mak ...

. As ambassador to France 1999-2004 she became Bahrain's first ever female ambassador. She is one of the first women to practice law in Bahrain, and the third ever woman to preside at the UN General Assembly.

Legal career

Haya obtained a Bachelor of Law degree from the

University of Kuwait Kuwait University (, abbreviated as Kuniv) is a public university located in Kuwait City, Kuwait. History Kuwait University (KU), (in Arabic: جامعة الكويت), was established in October 1966 under Act N. 29/1966. The university was of ...

in 1974. She has also obtained a Diploma in Civil Rights Private Law from the University of Alexandria, Egypt, in 1986 and a Diploma in Comparative Law from the

Ain Shams University Ain Shams University () is a public university located in Cairo, Egypt. Founded in 1950, the university provides education at the undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate levels. History Ain Shams University was founded in July 1950, the third ...

, Egypt, in 1988. With Lulwa Al Awadhi, she was one of the first two women in Bahrain to practice law when she was admitted as a

lawyer A lawyer is a person who is qualified to offer advice about the law, draft legal documents, or represent individuals in legal matters. The exact nature of a lawyer's work varies depending on the legal jurisdiction and the legal system, as w ...

in Bahrain in 1979. She set up her own practise and is the founder of the Haya Rashed Al Khalifa Law Firm. From 1997 to 1999, she was the vice chairwoman of the

International Bar Association The International Bar Association (IBA), founded in 1947, is a bar association of international legal practitioners, bar associations and law societies. The IBA in 2018 had a membership of more than 80,000 individual lawyers and 190 bar associati ...

. She is the legal advisor to Bahrain's

royal court A royal court, often called simply a court when the royal context is clear, is an extended royal household in a monarchy, including all those who regularly attend on a monarch, or another central figure. Hence, the word ''court'' may also be app ...

and is a Global Advisors to

Orphans International Orphans International Worldwide (OIWW) is a charitable organization created to house and educate orphans and abandoned children. In response to the crisis facing orphaned children around the world, former investment bank employee Jim Luce founde ...

Diplomatic career

Haya was the

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

of the 61st session of the

United Nations General Assembly The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA or GA; , AGNU or AG) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), serving as its main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ. Currently in its Seventy-ninth session of th ...

which began on September 12, 2006, and closed on September 17, 2007. She was the third woman to hold the position since

Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit Vijay Lakshmi Pandit (''née'' Swarup Nehru; 18 August 1900 – 1 December 1990) was an Indian freedom fighter, diplomat and politician. She served as the 8th President of the United Nations General Assembly from 1953 to 1954, the first woman a ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

and Angie Elisabeth Brooks of

Liberia Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to Guinea–Liberia border, its north, Ivory Coast to Ivory Coast–Lib ...

were appointed to the presidency in 1953 and 1969 respectively. She was elected by acclamation after Bahrain was chosen as its candidate by the group of Asian nations. In addition to being the first woman president since 1969, Haya was the first woman Muslim president. She was the

ambassador An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or so ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

from 1999 to 2004. When she was appointed Ambassador to France in 1999 she became the first ever female Bahraini ambassador. She also served as a permanent delegate to the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

). The move was the first in a series of appointments of women to high-profile government positions in recent years, which have included the country's first female cabinet minister, Nada Haffadh, and six women nominated to the

Shura Council In Arab culture, a Majlis-ash-Shura (; Shura Council in English) is an advisory council or consultative council. In Islamic context, the Majlis-ash-Shura is one of two ways that a khalifa (Islamic leader) may be selected, the other way being b ...

, the upper house of parliament. On the same day (6 June 2006) that Haya was selected to preside at the UN, Mona Al Kawari became the first female judge in Bahrain.Gulf News: 'A date to remember with pride' http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/bahrain/a-date-to-remember-with-pride-1.240006

Family and background

Haya is a member of the ruling

Al Khalifa The House of Khalifa () is the ruling family of the Kingdom of Bahrain. They profess Sunni Islam and belong to the Anizah tribe. Some members of this tribe joined the Utub alliance which migrated from Najd in central Arabia to Kuwait, then r ...

family of

. She is the great-granddaughter of

Isa ibn Ali Al Khalifa Isa bin Ali Al Khalifa (1848 – 9 December 1932) was the ruler of Bahrain from 1869 until his death. His title was Hakim of Bahrain. He is one of the longest reigning monarchs of the region, a reign lasting 63 years. He was forced by the ...

, who ruled Bahrain from 1869 to 1932. The present head of the family, King

Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifa Hamad bin Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa (born 28 January 1950) is King of Bahrain since 1999. He is a member of the ruling Al Khalifa dynasty. Early life and education Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa was born on 28 January 1950 in Riffa, Bahrain. H ...

, is the great-great-grandson of Isa ibn Ali.

Appointments and awards

Sheika Haya has received the following awards: * United Nations Millennium Development Goals Special Award, 2007 * Path to Peace Award 2007 * Social Creativity Award, at the Sixth Conference of the Arab Thought Foundation. Sheikha Haya is a member of the following bodies: * World Intellectual Property Organisation Arbitration Committee * International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) * International Court of Arbitration * Bahrain Supreme Council of Culture, Arts & Literature * Bahrain Bar Association (Vice-Chair) * Bahrain Chamber for Dispute Resolution (Chairperson of the Board of Trustees) * Consumer Advisory Group of the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, Bahrain (Chair).

References

External links