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Thorvald Stoltenberg

Former Foreign Minister and former Defence Minister

The ELN is saddened to hear of the passing of Thorvald Stoltenberg, who was a long-serving member of our network. Our thoughts and condolences are with his family and close friends.

Thorvald Stoltenberg was a former Norwegian politician. He served as Minister of Defense from 1979 until 1981 and Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1987 until 1989 and again from 1990 until 1993 in two Labour governments.

From 1989 to 1990 he was appointed Norwegian Ambassador to the United Nations. In 1990 he became the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, but served only one year before rejoining the Norwegian government. In 1993, he was appointed Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for the former Yugoslavia and UN Co-Chairman of the Steering Committee of the International Conference on the former Yugoslavia.

In 2003 he was appointed Chairman of the Board of International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA). Between 1999 and 2008 he was President of the Norwegian Red Cross, the only president to serve three terms.