of the parliament's delegation for relations with the Palestinian Legislative Council from 1999 until 2002. Minister of Foreign Affairs, 2002–2004 As part of a cabinet reshuffle, Prime Minister José María Aznar appointed Palacio as foreign minister, replacing Josep Piqué. She was the first woman to serve as Spain's foreign minister and, at the time, held the most senior post ever filled by a woman in the Spanish government. During her time in office, Spain and Morocco formally ended their 2002 military standoff over the uninhabited islet of Perejil, or Leila, and agreed to improve the highly charged relations between the two countries. Prior to her appointment to the World Bank, she served as member of the Spanish Parliament, representing Toledo, (Madelein Albright, congress woman, has an English version of 'Alvarez de Toledo' surname) where she chaired the Joint Committee of the two Houses for European Union Affairs. As Prime Minister Aznar's representative to the European Convention and the convention's Presidium, Palacio was at the forefront of the debate on the future of the European Union and actively participated in the drafting and legal discussions pertaining the reform of the treaties governing the European Union. Career at the UN Palacio served on the UN High Level Commission on the Legal Empowerment of the Poor between 2005 and 2006. World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz announced on 19 June 2006 Palacio's appointment as senior vice-president and general counsel of the World Bank effective August 28, 2006. One of her primary duties, as general counsel, involved Palacio's serving as secretary general of the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes, which is the division of the World Bank responsible for administrating arbitrations and conciliation between individuals and states under investment protection treaties, concession agreements and other foreign investment protection instruments, including certain national investment laws. Other activities Since 2010, Palacio has been the founding partner of Palacio y Asociados, a Madrid-based consulting and law firm, and also serving as a senior strategic counsel for Albright Stonebridge Group, an international strategic consulting firm. She has been visiting professor of the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University since 2014. Since 2011, Palacio has written monthly comments on global strategy for international media organization Project Syndicate. In addition, she currently holds various paid and unpaid positions. Corporate boards Enagás, lead independent coordinating director on the board of directors PharmaMar, member of the board