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Helen Elizabeth Clark (born 26 February 1950) is a New Zealand politician who served as the 37th Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1999 to 2008, and was the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme from 2009 to 2017. She was New Zealand's fifth-longest-serving prime minister, and the second woman to hold that office. Clark led the Fifth Labour Government of New Zealand for three consecutive terms.
Before taking leadership of the Labour Party, Clark had held portfolios in Health, Housing, Conservation, Labour, and served as Deputy Prime Minister. She also had ministerial responsibility for the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service and for Ministerial Services. Her particular interests included social policy and international affairs.
Before resigning from Parliament in April 2009, Clark was Labour's foreign affairs spokeswoman and MP for the Mount Albert electorate which she had held since 1981. Forbes magazine ranked her the 20th most powerful woman in the world in 2006. (Full article...)