Cloak and dagger aura can't hide statesmen's lofty goals

There is a whiff of Opus Dei or the Freemasons about the Global Leadership Foundation. It has a registered office and small secretariat in London, a listed telephone number and an information sheet detailing its honorary patrons and members. But like those two secretive global organisations, what the foundation gets up to, where and how is something of a mystery.

Founder and former South African president F.W. de Klerk yesterday lifted the veil on some ot its activities during a visit to Hong Kong, but he left a host of questions unanswered. As he explained, to do otherwise would lessen the organisation's chances of meeting its objectives. Those goals are above board: the foundation aims to use its roster of former national leaders and high-ranking officials to improve the world by making their experience and wisdom available to governments in need.

Similarly, there is nothing cloak and dagger about the advisers, all of whom have or once had an international profile. Hong Kong's chief secretary from 1993 to 2001, Anson Chan Fang On-sang, is among them, along with Mr de Klerk and 21 others like former Philippine president Fidel Ramos, one-time French prime minister Michel Rocard and ex-Indian premier I.K. Gujral. The patrons include Mr de Klerk's successor, Nelson Mandela, and US President George W. Bush's father, former president George H.W. Bush.

Nor did Mr de Klerk do anything to hide why he was in Hong Kong with the foundation's secretary general, Sir Robin Christopher: they were meeting Mrs Chan and fund-raising.

But the cloak came swiftly down - albeit with an explanation - when the matter of specifics was raised.

'We're not a secret organisation, but we offer confidential advice to governments, especially in the developing and underdeveloped world,' he said. 'Sometimes a leader is afraid of a loss of face if he or she is seen as somebody who has to be rescued by an outsider. The leader would therefore prefer to get solid, objective advice from people who have no agenda of their own, who don't represent any specific interests whatsoever.