The UN Tuesday made public a short list of candidates to head the UN Development Programme (UNDP), which is mandated to give countries needed information, experience and resources for development, as well as chair the UN Development Group (UNDG), which coordinates the operational UN agencies in individual Member States.
The six named were chosen for their diplomatic, management and resource mobilization skills and their knowledge of development issues, according to a UN spokesman.
The nominees include Kaoru Ishikawa of Japan, Director-General, Economic Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and G8 Summit Foreign Affairs Sous Sherpa; Fawaz al-Sultan of Kuwait, a former President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD); and Ad Melkert of the Netherlands, formerly Minister of Social Affairs and Dutch Executive Director at the World Bank.
Also listed are Norwegian Minister for International Development Hilde Frafjord Johnson (see her CV below), former World Bank Vice President Kemal Derwis of Turkey and Baroness Valerie Amos, leader of the House of Lords in the United Kingdom and former Secretary of State for the UK Department for International Development (DFID).
One of them will succeed Mark Malloch Brown, who became Secretary-General Kofi Annans Chief of Staff on 19 January while temporarily retaining the UNDP Administrator position.
Mr. Annan and his Deputy, Louise Fréchette, will conduct interviews with the finalists. Mr. Annan will consult UNDPs Executive Board on his choice before sending the name to the General Assembly.
Curriculum Vitae for Hilde Frafjord Johnson
Born:
29 August 1963 in Arusha, Tanzania (speaks swahili fluently)
Nationality:
Norwegian
Present position:
Minister of International Development of Norway and member of the Norwegian Government (Cabinet)
Marital status:
Single
Education:
1991: Cand.polit. (graduate degree) in social anthropology, University of Oslo. Specialized in development anthropology; fieldwork in Tanzania in 1987-88. Thesis: Dilemmas in Development. Forms of Peasant Resistance among the Fipa in Rukwa, Tanzania.
1985: Additional studies in social anthropology, Selly Oak Colleges, University of Birmingham, U.K.
1982 – 1985: Cand.mag. degree (undergraduate degree – BA) in history, political science and social anthropology, University of Oslo
Political and management positions:
2001 – : Minister of International Development and member of the Norwegian Government.
1997 – 2000: Minister of International Development and Human Rights and member of the Norwegian Government.
1993 – 2001: Member of the Norwegian parliament for the Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti, Centrist party in Norwegian politics).
1993 – 1997 and 2000 – 2001: Member of the Standing Committee on Energy and the Environment and the Enlarged Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs (2000-01) in the Norwegian parliament.
1989 – 1993: Alternate member of the Norwegian parliament for the Christian Democratic Party.
1988 – 1991: Political adviser to: Mr. Kåre Gjønnes, parliamentary leader for the Christian Democratic Party (1990-91), Mr. Kjell Magne Bondevik, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1989-90), Mr. Kjell Magne Bondevik, chairman and parliamentary leader of the Christian Democratic Party (1988-89)
Administrative experience:
2002 – 2005: Engineered and implemented a major structural reform of the administration of the Norwegian development aid, aimed at enhancing the efficiency of the aid administration in terms of its contribution to poverty reduction.
Focus of the reform was the need for better coherence between policy, strategy and implementation and for a clearer division of labour between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Norwegian Agency for Development Co-operation (Norad) and the embassies.
Further, emphasis was placed on the need for reducing the duplication and fragmentation of aid interventions, improving the Norwegian governments ability to interact with all relevant actors at country level and strengthening the focus on results. The major changes undertaken were:
The planning, execution and administration of Norwegian foreign and development work were integrated into the MFA. Further, all country and regional expertise were unified in the MFA.
Responsibility for the implementation of development programmes were delegated to Norwegian embassies to further decentralise decision-making to the country level. Embassies were given a central role to improve the co-ordination and coherence of bilateral and multilateral development aid.
Norads mandate and scope of operations were changed, with the major responsiblity for providing advice and support to the MFA and the embassies and assisting them in assuring the quality of Norwegian development co-operation.
1997 – 2000 and 2001 – 2005: Responsible for the development aid budget, which has risen from 1,44 billion US dollar in 1997 to 2,4 billion USD in 2005, including the administration of Norad
International honorary positions:
2003 – 2005: Co-chair of the international network Global Coalition for Africa (GCA)
2001 – 2005 and 1998 – 2000: Chairman of the Sudan Committee of the IGAD Partners Forum, formed to support the peace process between the Government of Sudan and the SPLM/A. Central in support of the Sudan peace process towards the peace-agreement of 2005.
2001: Member of the International Advisory Group of the World Bank on the Chad-Cameroon pipeline and related projects
2001: Member of the Governing Council of the Society for International Development (SID)
2000: Member of the Senior/External Advisory Panel of the Asian Development Bank during the preparation of the Banks Long-term Strategic Framework 2001-2015.
1999 – 2000: Member of the Presiding Council of ProVention, an international consortium of the World Bank, several UN agencies and private partners for preventive action in relation to natural disasters and emergencies in poor countries.
Other relevant honorary positions:
2001 – 2005 and 1999 – 2000:
Initiator and member of the “Utstein-group”, of like-minded development ministers (UK, Netherlands, Germany and Norway) working for poverty reduction. Sweden and Canada joined the group in 2002 and 2003, respectively.
1996 – 1997: Member of the board of Norwegian Church Aid (Kirkens Nødhjelp), a humanitarian relief and development NGO.
1994 – 1997: Member of the board of the Norwegian Council for Southern Africa.
1992 – 1996: Member of the Council of The Stromme Foundation, a Norwegian development NGO
Honorary awards:
2005: Awarded the Order of the two Niles, First Class by the Government of Sudan for her contribution to the peace process in Sudan that resulted in the 2005 peace agreement.
2004: Appointed Commander of the Order of St. Olav, Norway
2003: Awarded the “2003 Commitment to Development Award” by the Center for Global Development and Foreign Policy, as a member of the original Utstein group.
2000: Member of the selection-committee of the Thor Heyerdahl International Maritime Environmental Award
Media-related experience:
2000 – 2001: Member of the board of TVE (Television Trust for the Environment), a London-based TV-production company covering environment and development issues. Regular provider of productions for BBC World.
1988 – 1992: Member of the board of MENTOR, an international institute for media, communication and management.
1987: Journalist for Folkets Framtid, a small, weekly party-related newspaper.
1986 – 1993: Member of the editorial group of the journal Idé.
1984 – 1985: Editor of Ny Veg, magazine of the Christian Democratic Party Youth League.
1982: Journalist for Stavanger Aftenblad, a major regional newspaper in Norway
Previous employment and honorary positions:
2000 – 2001: Member of the board of the Norwegian Organization for Asylum Seekers (NOAS).
1994 – 1997: Member of the board of the Norwegian Helsinki Committee.
1993 – 1997: Member of the National Executive Board of the Christian Democratic Party.
1992 – 1993: Executive Officer, Section on Environment and Development (focus: the Rio-process), Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
1991 – 1997: Member of the Committee for International Affairs of the Church of Norway.
1986 – 1987: Vice President of the Christian Democratic Youth League.
1979 – 1985: Various elected political positions in the Christian Democratic Youth League
Languages:
Norwegian – mother tongue
English – fluent
Swahili – fluent
French – working knowledge
German – some knowledge
Contact:
[email protected]
[email protected]
Kilder: FNs nyhedstjeneste og www.norad.no
