Henry Kissinger: The Face of Bilderberg
Dr Strangelove I presume: Henry Kissinger

The official list of delegates to the secretive Bilderberg Group meeting, being held outside London, has been published and, monstrous conspiracy theories aside, it has the musty whiff of the late 20th century about it.

It is dominated by middle-aged and elderly white men, with Christine Lagarde, managing director of the IMF, leading the tiny coterie of women that can now pass muster among the financial and political elite. Tidjane Thiam, CEO of insurance giant Prudential, will probably be the only black face there.

Having just turned 90, the éminence grise of the hoedown in Hertfordshire is Henry Kissinger, the controversial former US secretary of state. President Nixon's former global enforcer who ordered the ravaging of Cambodia and propped up many a nasty Latin American junta has Dr Strangelove status among the conspiracy theorists.

Not surprisingly, the "banksters" are over-represented with Goldman Sachs, aka the Great Vampire Squid, providing two of its top viceroys - vice-chairman Michael Evans and Peter Sutherland, chairman of Goldman Sachs International.

Meanwhile, despite Barclays' involvement in the Libor rigging scandal, its former chairman Marcus Aguis's reputation remains unsullied in Bilderberg eyes and he remains a trustee of the group.

In recognition of the global digital "revolutionaries" who may offer a way out of the global financial catastrophe masterminded by Bilderbergers past and present, Eric Schmidt, executive chairman of Google, and Jeff Bezos of Amazon, make the cut this time.

Meanwhile, the sense that it is stuck in the rut of its Cold War origins (founded in 1954 to foster dialogue between Europe and North America) is revealed by the fact that it is yet to recognise that the Iron Curtain crumbled over 20 years ago. Despite having been initiated by, among others, Polish politician-in-exile Józef Retinger, there is not a single invitee from east of the Elbe, let alone Russia.

Hence, notable neo-cons and ex-Cold War warriors, including George W Bush wingman Richard Perle, generally thought to be discredited post-Iraq invasion, still get a Bilderberg billing.

Indeed, how relevant any organisation supposedly interested in world affairs can be without any representative from the Bric nations - let alone Africa - points to elitist arrogance, embellished by the fact that the Bilderberg 2013 agenda plans to talk about "Africa's challenges" and "Developments in the Middle East" without anyone actually from these regions present.

Not surprisingly, a large contingent from London is expected, including George Osborne and his Labour counterpart, Ed Balls, a Labour party figure who has a reputation as a political viper - which is about as close to David Icke's mad fantasies about a world governed by alien, reptilian shape-shifters as it gets.

Invitees and agenda of talking points

Here is the official list of attendees and the agenda for the Bilderberg Group meeting at The Grove in Watford, 6-9 June:

FRACastries, Henri deChairman and CEO, AXA Group
DEUAchleitner, Paul M.Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Deutsche Bank AG
DEUAckermann, JosefChairman of the Board, Zurich Insurance Group Ltd
GBRAgius, MarcusFormer Chairman, Barclays plc
GBRAlexander, HelenChairman, UBM plc
USAAltman, Roger C.Executive Chairman, Evercore Partners
FINApunen, MattiDirector, Finnish Business and Policy Forum EVA
USAAthey, SusanProfessor of Economics, Stanford Graduate School of Business
TURAydıntaşbaş, AslıColumnist, Milliyet Newspaper
TURBabacan, AliDeputy Prime Minister for Economic and Financial Affairs
GBRBalls, Edward M.Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer
PRTBalsemão, Francisco PintoChairman and CEO, IMPRESA
FRABarré, NicolasManaging Editor, Les Echos
INTBarroso, José M. DurãoPresident, European Commission
FRABaverez, NicolasPartner, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
FRABavinchove, Olivier deCommander, Eurocorps
GBRBell, JohnRegius Professor of Medicine, University of Oxford
ITABernabè, FrancoChairman and CEO, Telecom Italia S.p.A.
USABezos, JeffFounder and CEO, Amazon.com
SWEBildt, CarlMinister for Foreign Affairs
SWEBorg, AndersMinister for Finance
NLDBoxmeer, Jean François vanChairman of the Executive Board and CEO, Heineken N.V.
NORBrandtzæg, Svein RichardPresident and CEO, Norsk Hydro ASA
AUTBronner, OscarPublisher, Der Standard Medienwelt
GBRCarrington, PeterFormer Honorary Chairman, Bilderberg Meetings
ESPCebrián, Juan LuisExecutive Chairman, Grupo PRISA
CANClark, W. EdmundPresident and CEO, TD Bank Group
GBRClarke, KennethMember of Parliament
DNKCorydon, BjarneMinister of Finance
GBRCowper-Coles, SherardBusiness Development Director, International, BAE Systems plc
ITACucchiani, Enrico TommasoCEO, Intesa Sanpaolo SpA
BELDavignon, EtienneMinister of State; Former Chairman, Bilderberg Meetings
GBRDavis, IanSenior Partner Emeritus, McKinsey & Company
NLDDijkgraaf, Robbert H.Director and Leon Levy Professor, Institute for Advanced Study
TURDinçer, HalukPresident, Retail and Insurance Group, Sabancı Holding A.S.
GBRDudley, RobertGroup Chief Executive, BP plc
USAEberstadt, Nicholas N.Henry Wendt Chair in Political Economy, American Enterprise Institute
NOREide, Espen BarthMinister of Foreign Affairs
SWEEkholm, BörjePresident and CEO, Investor AB
DEUEnders, ThomasCEO, EADS
USAEvans, J. MichaelVice Chairman, Goldman Sachs & Co.
DNKFederspiel, UlrikExecutive Vice President, Haldor Topsøe A/S
USAFeldstein, Martin S.Professor of Economics, Harvard University; President Emeritus, NBER
FRAFillon, FrançoisFormer Prime Minister
USAFishman, Mark C.President, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research
GBRFlint, Douglas J.Group Chairman, HSBC Holdings plc
IRLGallagher, PaulSenior Counsel
USAGeithner, Timothy F.Former Secretary of the Treasury
USAGfoeller, MichaelPolitical Consultant
USAGraham, Donald E.Chairman and CEO, The Washington Post Company
DEUGrillo, UlrichCEO, Grillo-Werke AG
ITAGruber, LilliJournalist - Anchorwoman, La 7 TV
ESPGuindos, Luis deMinister of Economy and Competitiveness
GBRGulliver, StuartGroup Chief Executive, HSBC Holdings plc
CHEGutzwiller, FelixMember of the Swiss Council of States
NLDHalberstadt, VictorProfessor of Economics, Leiden University; Former Honorary Secretary General of Bilderberg Meetings
FINHeinonen, OlliSenior Fellow, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School of Government
GBRHenry, SimonCFO, Royal Dutch Shell plc
FRAHermelin, PaulChairman and CEO, Capgemini Group
ESPIsla, PabloChairman and CEO, Inditex Group
USAJacobs, Kenneth M.Chairman and CEO, Lazard
USAJohnson, James A.Chairman, Johnson Capital Partners
CHEJordan, Thomas J.Chairman of the Governing Board, Swiss National Bank
USAJordan, Jr., Vernon E.Managing Director, Lazard Freres & Co. LLC
USAKaplan, Robert D.Chief Geopolitical Analyst, Stratfor
USAKarp, AlexFounder and CEO, Palantir Technologies
GBRKerr, JohnIndependent Member, House of Lords
USAKissinger, Henry A.Chairman, Kissinger Associates, Inc.
USAKleinfeld, KlausChairman and CEO, Alcoa
NLDKnot, Klaas H.W.President, De Nederlandsche Bank
TURKoç, Mustafa V.Chairman, Koç Holding A.S.
DEUKoch, RolandCEO, Bilfinger SE
USAKravis, Henry R.Co-Chairman and Co-CEO, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.
USAKravis, Marie-JoséeSenior Fellow and Vice Chair, Hudson Institute
CHEKudelski, AndréChairman and CEO, Kudelski Group
GRCKyriacopoulos, UlyssesChairman, S&B Industrial Minerals S.A.
INTLagarde, ChristineManaging Director, International Monetary Fund
DEULauk, Kurt J.Chairman of the Economic Council to the CDU, Berlin
USALessig, LawrenceRoy L. Furman Professor of Law and Leadership, Harvard Law School; Director, Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics, Harvard University
BELLeysen, ThomasChairman of the Board of Directors, KBC Group
DEULindner, ChristianParty Leader, Free Democratic Party (FDP NRW)
SWELöfven, StefanParty Leader, Social Democratic Party (SAP)
DEULöscher, PeterPresident and CEO, Siemens AG
GBRMandelson, PeterChairman, Global Counsel; Chairman, Lazard International
USAMathews, Jessica T.President, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
CANMcKenna, FrankChair, Brookfield Asset Management
GBRMicklethwait, JohnEditor-in-Chief, The Economist
FRAMontbrial, Thierry dePresident, French Institute for International Relations
ITAMonti, MarioFormer Prime Minister
USAMundie, Craig J.Senior Advisor to the CEO, Microsoft Corporation
ITANagel, AlbertoCEO, Mediobanca
NLDNetherlands, H.R.H. Princess Beatrix of The
USANg, Andrew Y.Co-Founder, Coursera
FINOllila, JormaChairman, Royal Dutch Shell, plc
GBROmand, DavidVisiting Professor, King's College London
GBROsborne, GeorgeChancellor of the Exchequer
USAOttolenghi, EmanueleSenior Fellow, Foundation for Defense of Democracies
TURÖzel, SoliSenior Lecturer, Kadir Has University; Columnist, Habertürk Newspaper
GRCPapahelas, AlexisExecutive Editor, Kathimerini Newspaper
TURPavey, ŞafakMember of Parliament (CHP)
FRAPécresse, ValérieMember of Parliament (UMP)
USAPerle, Richard N.Resident Fellow, American Enterprise Institute
USAPetraeus, David H.General, U.S. Army (Retired)
PRTPortas, PauloMinister of State and Foreign Affairs
CANPrichard, J. Robert S.Chair, Torys LLP
INTReding, VivianeVice President and Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship, European Commission
CANReisman, Heather M.CEO, Indigo Books & Music Inc.
FRARey, HélèneProfessor of Economics, London Business School
GBRRobertson, SimonPartner, Robertson Robey Associates LLP; Deputy Chairman, HSBC Holdings
ITARocca, GianfeliceChairman,Techint Group
POLRostowski, JacekMinister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister
USARubin, Robert E.Co-Chairman, Council on Foreign Relations; Former Secretary of the Treasury
NLDRutte, MarkPrime Minister
AUTSchieder, AndreasState Secretary of Finance
USASchmidt, Eric E.Executive Chairman, Google Inc.
AUTScholten, RudolfMember of the Board of Executive Directors, Oesterreichische Kontrollbank AG
PRTSeguro, António JoséSecretary General, Socialist Party
FRASenard, Jean-DominiqueCEO, Michelin Group
NORSkogen Lund, KristinDirector General, Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise
USASlaughter, Anne-MarieBert G. Kerstetter '66 University Professor of Politics and International Affairs, Princeton University
IRLSutherland, Peter D.Chairman, Goldman Sachs International
GBRTaylor, MartinFormer Chairman, Syngenta AG
INTThiam, TidjaneGroup CEO, Prudential plc
USAThiel, Peter A.President, Thiel Capital
USAThompson, Craig B.President and CEO, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
DNKTopsøe, Jakob HaldorPartner, AMBROX Capital A/S
FINUrpilainen, JuttaMinister of Finance
CHEVasella, Daniel L.Honorary Chairman, Novartis AG
GBRVoser, Peter R.CEO, Royal Dutch Shell plc
CANWall, BradPremier of Saskatchewan
SWEWallenberg, JacobChairman, Investor AB
USAWarsh, KevinDistinguished Visiting Fellow, The Hoover Institution, Stanford University
CANWeston, Galen G.Executive Chairman, Loblaw Companies Limited
GBRWilliams of Crosby, ShirleyMember, House of Lords
GBRWolf, Martin H.Chief Economics Commentator, The Financial Times
USAWolfensohn, James D.Chairman and CEO, Wolfensohn and Company
GBRWright, DavidVice Chairman, Barclays plc
INTZoellick, Robert B.Distinguished Visiting Fellow, Peterson Institute for International Economics
AUTAustriaINT International
BELBelgiumIRL Ireland
CANCanadaITA Italy
CHESwitzerlandNLD Netherlands
DEUGermanyNOR Norway
DNKDenmarkPOL Poland
ESPSpainPRT Portugal
FINFinlandSWE Sweden
FRAFranceTUR Turkey
GBRGreat BritainUSA United States of America
GRCGreece

Bilderberg Agenda

The 61st Bilderberg meeting is set to take place from 6 until 9 June in Watford, Hertfordshire. A total of around 140 participants from 21 European and North American countries have confirmed their attendance. As ever, a diverse group of political leaders and experts from industry, finance, academia and the media have been invited. The list of participants is available on www.bilderbergmeetings.org

The key topics for discussion this year include:

  • Can the US and Europe grow faster and create jobs?
  • Jobs, entitlement and debt
  • How big data is changing almost everything
  • Nationalism and populism
  • US foreign policy
  • Africa's challenges
  • Cyber warfare and the proliferation of asymmetric threats
  • Major trends in medical research
  • Online education: promise and impacts
  • Politics of the European Union
  • Developments in the Middle East
  • Current affairs

Founded in 1954, Bilderberg is an annual conference designed to foster dialogue between Europe and North America.

Every year, between 120 and 150 political leaders and experts from industry, finance, academia and the media are invited to take part in the conference. About two thirds of the participants come from Europe and the rest from North America; one third from politics and government and the rest from other fields.

The conference has always been a forum for informal, off-the-record discussions about megatrends and the major issues facing the world. Thanks to the private nature of the conference, the participants are not bound by the conventions of office or by pre-agreed positions. As such, they can take time to listen, reflect and gather insights.

There is no detailed agenda, no resolutions are proposed, no votes are taken, and no policy statements are issued.

READ:
Bilderberg 2013: Andrew Kakabadse on How Elite Power Shapes the World [VIDEO]