Jan Egeland of Norway assumed his post as the Under-Secretary-General (USG) for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator (ERC) in August 2003.  He served in that post until December 2006 (statement by Secretary-General Kofi Annan). 

Mr. Egeland's compassion and deep commitment to humanitarian, human rights and peace work spans more than 25 years.  Prior to joining OCHA, he was the Secretary General of the Norwegian Red Cross.  From 1999 to 2002, he was the United Nations Secretary-General's Special Adviser on Colombia.  Mr. Egeland's distinguished career also includes service to his Government as State Secretary in the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1990 to 1997.  In that capacity, he initiated two Norwegian Emergency Preparedness Systems, which have provided more than 2,000 experts and humanitarian workers to international organizations.  He has also been Chair of Amnesty International, Norway, and Vice-Chair of the International Executive Committee of Amnesty International.  He served as Director for the International Department of the Norwegian Red Cross, Head of Development Studies at the Henry Dunant Institute, Geneva and radio and television international news reporter, Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation.

Mr. Egeland has actively participated in a number of peace processes.  He co-initiated and co-organized the Norwegian channel between Israel and Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in 1992, which led to the Oslo Accord (Declaration of Principles) of September 1993.  He directed the Norwegian facilitation of the United Nations-led peace talks leading up to ceasefire agreement between the Government of Guatemala and the Unidad Revolucionaria Nacional Guatemalteca (URNG) guerrillas signed in Oslo in 1996.  He also led the host delegation when the Ottawa treaty to ban landmines was successfully negotiated and adopted in Oslo in 1997.

During his three and a half years tenure with OCHA, Mr. Egeland led the joint efforts of the humanitarian community in providing desperately needed relief in the wake of a number of disasters - including the devastating earthquake in Bam, the Indian Ocean earthquakes and tsunami, the South Asia earthquake, the drought in West Africa, the drought and flooding in the Horn of Africa, and the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season. He has also coordinated efforts in neglected and forgotten crisis, from northern Uganda to Somalia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He traveled to the frontlines of conflicts to bring world's attention to the suffering in places like Darfur, Sudan, Colombia, Lebanon and the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

Under his leadership, Mr. Egeland led OCHA and the wider humanitarian community through a significant reform process since the establishment of the Department of Humanitarian Affairs in 1991.  He also tirelessly worked to upgrade the Central Emergency Revolving Fund to the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). The Fund ensures a more predictable and timely response to humanitarian crisis. He also continued to raise awareness in issues such as gender mainstreaming, sexual exploitation and violence, and internal displacement. 

Mr. Egeland holds a Magister Artium in Political Science from the University of Oslo.  He has been a Fulbright Scholar at the University of California, Berkeley and a fellow at the International Peace Research Institute, Oslo, and the Truman Institute for the Advancement of Peace, Jerusalem.

He has published a number of reports, studies and articles on conflict resolution, humanitarian affairs and human rights.

Mr. Egeland is married with two daughters.

Reference Documents

Speeches and Statements  

2006
2005
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2003 

Press Room
 
2006
2005