Astrid Thors is a lawyer, a Finnish politician and the former Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) High Commissioner on National Minorities (2013-2016). She was elected vice-president at LI’s 62nd congress in Dakar in 2018. Ms Thors was chairperson of the Liberal International Human Right’s Committee in 2019-2024. Ms Thors was elected as Deputy President of Liberal International in 2024 at the 64th Congress in Santiago, Chile. 

Ms Thors has extensive experience in international politics and human rights. She served parliamentary terms in the European Parliament (1996-20004) and in the Finnish Parliament (2004-2013), where she was the Finnish Minister of Migration and European Affairs (2007-11).

Astrid Thors was vice chair of the Swedish People’s Party of Finland (SFP) between 1992-2000 and the chair of the youth branch of the party 1981-83. She was also elected vice-president of ELDR (now ALDE) 2011-13.

A lawyer by education, Ms Thors has held numerous high-level positions related to justice and human rights – including as the chair of the National Committee of Unicef Finland 2000-05 and as an advisor to ministers of justice, defence and European affairs. She has also chaired the Advisory Board on Human Rights of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland and the Refugee Advisory Council.