Børge Brende
Børge Brende (born 25 September 1965) is a Norwegian politician and diplomat serving as President of the World Economic Forum since 2017.[1] A member of the Conservative Party, he previously was Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2013 to 2017, Minister of the Environment from 2001 to 2004 and Minister of Trade and Industry from 2004 to 2005. He also was elected to the Norwegian Parliament from 1997 to 2009.
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Career
Brende served as Chairman of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development from 2003 to 2004 as Norway's Environment Minister. In 2006, he was one of the candidates shortlisted to succeed Klaus Töpfer as Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), alongside Achim Steiner of Germany and Rajendra K. Pachauri of India;[2] the post eventually went to Steiner.
In January 2008, Brende joined the World Economic Forum as managing director, particularly in charge of relations with governments and civil society. In 2009, Brende joined the Norwegian Red Cross as Secretary General.[3] He re-joined the World Economic Forum in 2011 as managing director with responsibility for policy initiatives and engagement of the Forum's non-business constituents.[4] From 2009 to 2011 Brende was Secretary General of Red Cross Norway.
He has been the Chairman of Mesta, Norway's largest contracting group in the area of road and highway maintenance. He was also a member of the board of Statoil (Equinor). Brende started in 2005 as International Vice-Chairman of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development, an advisory board to the State Council. Brende was the Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party from 1994 to 1998.
As Foreign Minister of Norway Brende normalised the relationship with China. Together with the Foreign Minister of Cuba he was the "guarantor" of the Colombian peace process. As the Norwegian Minister of Trade and Industry, Brende improved the framework conditions for trade and industry, and for innovation and development. By the end of his term in office, funding for innovation had increased by 30%. As a minister of the Environment he was in charge of an increase of the national park area of Norway of more than 50%. As Secretary General of Norwegian Red Cross Brende was leading two of the largest relief operations in the society's history; in Haiti and Pakistan.
Minister of Foreign Affairs (2013–2017)
In October 2014, Brende – in his capacity as Chairman of the Ad-Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC) – co-hosted the Cairo Conference on Palestine, an international donor conference on reconstructing the Gaza Strip, which garnered $5.4 billion in pledges.[5]
In 2015, Brende negotiated an interim agreement between Norway and the other coastal states in the Arctic – Canada, Denmark (on behalf of its territory of Greenland), Russia and the United States – on prohibiting commercial fishing in the increasingly ice-free international waters of the Arctic.[6]
In January 2016, Brende was appointed by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to the High-level Advisory Group for Every Woman Every Child.[7]
World Economic Forum
On 15 September 2017 it was announced that Brende will be the president of the World Economic Forum from mid-October 2017.[8]
Other activities
International organizations
- Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), Ex-Officio Member of the Board of Governors (2016-2017)[9]
- Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), World Bank Group, Ex-Officio Member of the Board of Governors (2013-2017)[10]
- World Bank, Ex-Officio Member of the Board of Governors (2013-2017)[11]
Non-profit organizations
- Bilderberg Group, Member of the Steering Committee[12]
- P4G – Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030, Member of the Board of Directors (since 2019)[13]
- World Economic Forum (WEF), Member of the Europe Policy Group (since 2017)[14]
- Norwegian Defence University College, Deputy Chairman of the Advisory Board (2010–2011)
Recognition
- 2004 – Order of the Phoenix
- 2005 – Order of St. Olav
- 2005 – Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
- 2018 – Order of San Carlos
References
- Norway’s Børge Brende joins World Economic Forum, 15 September 2017, The New York Times.
- SHORTLIST OF CANDIDATES FOR POST OF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME (UNEP) United Nations, press release of March 3, 2006.
- "Børge Brende blir Røde Kors-sjef". Aftenposten.no. Archived from the original on 13 January 2015. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
- "Norwegian Red Cross Chief to Join World Economic Forum". World Economic Forum. Archived from the original on 13 January 2015. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
- Michael R. Gordon (October 12, 2014), Conference Pledges $5.4 Billion to Rebuild Gaza Strip, The New York Times.
- Steven Lee Myers (July 16, 2015), Sea Warming Leads to Ban on Fishing in the Arctic, The New York Times.
- UN Secretary-General Announces Members of the High-Level Advisory Group for Every Woman Every Child Archived 2016-08-28 at the Wayback Machine Every Woman Every Child, press release of 21 January 2016.
- "Norway's Børge Brende joins World Economic Forum". World Economic Forum. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
- Board of Governors Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).
- Board of Governors Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), World Bank Group.
- Board of Governors World Bank.
- Steering Committee Bilderberg Group.
- Board of Directors P4G – Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030.
- Europe Policy Group World Economic Forum.
- Archived October 17, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
- Lars Joakim Skarvøy. "Kilder til VG: Børge Brende har sagt ja til å bli utenriksminister". VG. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
External links
- (in Norwegian) Brende's CV at the Ministry of Trade and Industry
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Siri Bjerke |
Minister of the Environment 2001–2004 |
Succeeded by Knut Arild Hareide |
| Preceded by Ansgar Gabrielsen |
Minister of Trade and Industry 2004–2005 |
Succeeded by Odd Eriksen |
| Preceded by Espen Barth Eide |
Minister of Foreign Affairs 2013–2017 |
Succeeded by Ine Marie Eriksen Søreide |
| Non-profit organization positions | ||
| Preceded by Trygve Nordby |
Secretary General of the Norwegian Red Cross 2009–2011 |
Succeeded by Åsne Havnelid |
|  | |
Authority control  |
|---|