Lousewies van der Laan is Executive Director of Transparency International Netherlands, the Dutch chapter of the worldwide anti-corruption movement known for its annual Corruption Perceptions Index. In the Netherlands, the NGO focuses on whistleblower protection, promoting integrity in business and politics, and countering money laundering and tax evasion. She holds a law degree from Leiden University and a diploma in International Economic Relations from the Johns Hopkins University School for Advanced International Studies. She started her career at the European Commission and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and was elected to the European Parliament in 1999. In 2003, she was elected to the Dutch Parliament, where she became party leader in 2006. She subsequently served as vice president of the Alliance for Liberals and Democrats in Europe. After her political career, she has worked as a consultant and for various international organizations, including the International Criminal Court and Eurojust, focusing on the rule of law, human rights and governance. In addition to her role at Transparency International, Lousewies van der Laan is chair of the Dutch Consumer Association and holds various pro bono positions, including: member of the advisory board of the Dutch national cybersecurity campaign “Alert online”, member of the supervisory committee on ethical AI, and ambassador for the Netherlands Internet Governance Forum, the Thrombosis Foundation, The North Sea Neighbours conference and the Pim de Kuijer memorial lecture. She was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland in 2004 for exceptional merit in developing Polish-Dutch cooperation.
Lousewies van der Laan will participate in the World Justice Forum working session How to Engage Business in Transforming Governance