Espen Barth Eide (born 1 May 1964, in
Oslo
Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...
) is a Norwegian politician and
political scientist
Political science is the science, scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of politics, political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated c ...
. He is currently serving as the
Minister of Climate and the Environment
The Minister of Climate and the Environment ( no, Klima- og miljøministeren) is a Councilor of State and Chief of Norway's Ministry of the Environment. The current minister is Espen Barth Eide. The ministry is responsible for environmental iss ...
in
Jonas Gahr Støre's government. He has been a been a member of the
Norwegian Parliament
The Storting ( no, Stortinget ) (lit. the Great Thing) is the supreme legislature of Norway, established in 1814 by the Constitution of Norway. It is located in Oslo. The unicameral parliament has 169 members and is elected every four years base ...
since 2017, representing the
Labour Party. He was elected to this seat in the
2017 election, and reelected in the
2021 election. From 2017 to 2021, Eide was the Labour Party's spokesperson for Energy, Climate and Environment.
On 22 August 2014, Barth Eide was appointed United Nations Special Adviser on Cyprus by former UN Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon (; ; born 13 June 1944) is a South Korean politician and diplomat who served as the eighth secretary-general of the United Nations between 2007 and 2016. Prior to his appointment as secretary-general, Ban was his country's Minister ...
. He continued in this capacity under current Secretary-General
António Guterres until 14 August 2017, when he stepped down from his UN role in order to engage in the election campaign in Norway.
![Global Security Outlook Espen Barth Eide](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/88/Global_Security_Outlook_Espen_Barth_Eide.jpg)
From 2014 to 2016 he served as managing director and member of the Managing Board at the
World Economic Forum
The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an international non-governmental and lobbying organisation based in Cologny, canton of Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded on 24 January 1971 by German engineer and economist Klaus Schwab. The foundation, ...
in Geneva.
Barth Eide served as Norway's Minister of Defence in
Stoltenberg's Second Cabinet from 2011 to 2012, and subsequently as
Minister of Foreign Affairs
A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between cou ...
until 2013. Since December 2013, Barth Eide has served as a member of the Board of the
Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD). He was chair of the Board until 14 October 2021.
He was a member of the boards of
Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) and the Norwegian Atlantic Committee until the same date.
Early life and education
Eide is the son of the jurist, human rights expert, and author
Asbjørn Eide
Asbjørn Eide (born 11 February 1933) is a Norwegian human rights scholar with base in Law and Social Science Research. He was married October 10, 1959, to Professor of nutritional physiology Wenche Barth Eide
Wenche Barth Eide (born 3 January 1 ...
(b. 1933) and Professor of nutritional physiology
Wenche Barth Eide
Wenche Barth Eide (born 3 January 1935 in Oslo, Norway) is a Norwegian human rights scholar with base in Law and Social Science Research, daughter of civil engineer Jacob Bøckmann Barth (1898-1974) and Solveig Herstad (1900-1987), married October ...
(b. Barth 1935).
He attended the
Oslo Cathedral School
Schola Osloensis, known in Norwegian as Oslo Katedralskole (''Oslo Cathedral School'') and more commonly as "Katta",[University of Oslo
The University of Oslo ( no, Universitetet i Oslo; la, Universitas Osloensis) is a public research university located in Oslo, Norway. It is the highest ranked and oldest university in Norway. It is consistently ranked among the top universit ...](_blank)
in 1993 with a cand.polit. degree. He also studied at the
Autonomous University of Barcelona
The Autonomous University of Barcelona ( ca, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; , es, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona; UAB), is a public university mostly located in Cerdanyola del Vallès, near the city of Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain.
...
.
Eide joined the Labour Party in 1979 and in the 1980s held several positions in AUF (
Labour Party Youth). He was secretary-general of the European Movement Norway in 1992-1993 and had a key role in the campaign for Norwegian membership in the EU in 1994.
Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI)
In 1993, Eide began working as a researcher in the United Nations Program at the
Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI). He became Head of this program in 1996, later working as an advisor to the panel on ''Threats, Challenges and Change'' and the ''Report on Integrated Missions''. In 2002 he became the head of NUPI's Department of International Politics,
a position he held until he returned to Government in 2005.
Political career
During
Jens Stoltenberg's first term as Prime Minister, from 2000 to 2001, Eide served as a State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. When the
Stoltenberg's second cabinet took office after the
2005 election, Eide became a State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 2010, he again served as a State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. On 11 November 2011, he was appointed to the post of Minister of Defence. On 21 September 2012, he was appointed to the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs, succeeding
Jonas Gahr Støre
Jonas Gahr Støre (; born 25 August 1960) is a Norwegian politician who has served as the prime minister of Norway since 2021 and has been Leader of the Labour Party since 2014. He served under Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg as Minister of For ...
.
After the resignation of Jens Stoltenberg's Government in October 2013, following the
2013 election, he temporarily left Norwegian politics, but returned to Norway and was elected as
Member of Parliament
A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
for the
Oslo
Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...
Labour Party in the
2017 election. He was re-elected in
2021
File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...
.
From 2001 to 2013, Eide was a member of the Presidency of the
Party of European Socialists
The Party of European Socialists (PES) is a social democratic and progressive European political party.
The PES comprises national-level political parties from all member states of the European Union (EU) plus Norway and the United Kingdom ...
. In 2004, he led a policy review on integrated missions commissioned by the UN Secretariat. He also served as adviser to the High-Level Panel on UN Reform, which concluded its work in 2005. He has also been active in the
World Economic Forum
The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an international non-governmental and lobbying organisation based in Cologny, canton of Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded on 24 January 1971 by German engineer and economist Klaus Schwab. The foundation, ...
since 2003,
and a regular attendee of the
Munich Security Conference
The Munich Security Conference (MSC; german: Münchner Sicherheitskonferenz) is an annual conference on international security policy that has been held in Munich, Bavaria, Germany since 1963. Former names are ''Wehrkundetagung'' and ''Münchner ...
since 2006.
Minister of Defence
Eide was appointed as defence minister by Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg on 11 November 2011 after
Grete Faremo
Grete Faremo (born 16 June 1955) is a Norwegian politician, lawyer and business leader. From August 2014 to May 2022, she held the post of Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS). ...
was appointed minister of justice. Eide described his new position as "a great responsibility" and said he would not make "revolutionary changes".
In March 2012, Eide criticized NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussens for saying that he was open to the possibility of using information gained under torture. Eide pronounced this "unacceptable", saying that it violated international conventions.
Eide recognized that Norway's purchase of fighter jets would reduce the amount of funding available for other purposes .
In June 2012, Eide made the opening remarks at a seminar in Oslo on "Masculinity and the Military", saying that Norway was beginning the "final stage of the transformation of the armed forces", taking "a fundamentally new approach to how we recruit, invest in and maintain a pool of highly qualified personnel." In addition to "recruiting those who can run long distances and carry a heavy back pack", he explained, the military would seek to "attract those who are especially skilled in new technologies. Young people who can make an impact on system and strategy thinking. Indeed we need women and men who are inclined to find cyberspace more fascinating than wildlife and hiking."
On 11 September 2012, Eide delivered a speech marking the end of Norway's involvement in the war in Afghanistan.
Minister of Foreign Affairs
2012
Prime Minister Stoltenberg named Eide Minister of Foreign Affairs on 21 September 2012 in a cabinet reshuffle.
Eide gave an extensive interview to Der Spiegel in October 2012 about the responsible exploitation of Arctic resources.
Asked in December 2012 about the EU's growing economic crisis, Eide said, "I believe the answer is more Europe. Less Europe or some kind of disintegration is not just wrong, but it can in fact be quite dangerous." If countries abandon the EU, he said, it cannot "bring peace in Europe or a visible Europe in the global arena."
In December 2012, Eide urged the United Kingdom to remain in the EU. The next month, asked whether Britain would be better off in the EEA rather than in the EU, Eide underscored that it would be best for the EU if Britain left its status unchanged: "As a historic and current close ally of Norway, I think we see more advantages in Britain still being a part of the EU in the future, so that British pragmatism on many issues has a seat at the table when important issues are discussed."
2013
At an Arctic Frontiers conference in Tromsø in January 2013, Eide signed a Host Country Agreement between Norway and the Arctic Council, establishing a permanent secretariat for the council in that city.
At a joint press conference on 12 March 2013 in Washington, D.C., with newly appointed U.S. Secretary of State
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician and diplomat who currently serves as the first United States special presidential envoy for climate. A member of the Forbes family and the Democratic Party (Unite ...
, Eide said that Norway was working "closely with the Syrian opposition", by providing humanitarian aid and, "trying to help them to set up local council inside Syria." But Norway, like the U.S., was not yet, "actively arming the rebels", though it agreed with the U.S. that "President Assad has lost all credibility, he must go. We need to work with the Syrian opposition, we need to help them to unify, we need to help them to consolidate messages, and we need to make sure that the Security Council finally is able to come to a kind of joint position in this issue. And I think on these issues we are very much of the same approach."
In March 2013, Eide addressed the first-ever governmental conference on the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons. "Time is not on our side", he told the audience. "The technology exists, on more hands, and we know that more states and non-state groups are contemplating acquiring real weapons. On top of this, comes the risk of accidental detonation, for instance due to improper handling of nuclear weapons."
In April 2013, Eide declared that a new wave of violence in the state of Rakhine in Burma should not be considered identical to earlier conflicts in that country, which resulted from government oppression. He expressed confidence that Burmese authorities were taking the situation seriously and were eager to establish reconciliation and peace.
Eide hailed the "historic agreement" between Serbia and Kosovo in April 2013 which resolved all outstanding questions between the two countries. Meeting with Serbian First Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić in Belgrade, Eide said that even though Norway is not a member of the EU, it strongly supports Serbia's EU pathway.
Minister of Climate and the Environment
2021
On 14 October 2021, Eide was appointed
Minister of Climate and the Environment
The Minister of Climate and the Environment ( no, Klima- og miljøministeren) is a Councilor of State and Chief of Norway's Ministry of the Environment. The current minister is Espen Barth Eide. The ministry is responsible for environmental iss ...
in
Støre's Cabinet.
Barth Eide and Minister of Trade and Industry
Jan Christian Vestre
Jan Christian Vestre (born 9 October 1986) is a Norwegian businessperson in the furniture industry, and politician for the Labour Party. He has served as Minister of Trade and Industry since 2021.
Personal life and education
Vestre was born ...
announced that the government would work actively to cut emissions, with him saying: "We must dispose of the emissions we have left in the best possible way. We will look for the most rational, cost-effective and efficient measures that reduce emissions in all sectors of society".
Ahead of the
2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, Barth Eide expressed hopes to make substantial progress regarding discussions about the
Paris climate agreement
The Paris Agreement (french: Accord de Paris), often referred to as the Paris Accords or the Paris Climate Accords, is an international treaty on climate change. Adopted in 2015, the agreement covers climate change mitigation, adaptation, and ...
's article 6. He also said that he wanted to assist in finding a solution to the quota trading.
Barth Eide expressed that an overview over climate emissions from consumption could be necessary. He further said it was something Norway should become better at, but couldn't yet say when such a process would be started. However, he did reassure that it would be started gradually over time.
Early into the
2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference in
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
, Barth Eide said it was also too early to say if any significant progress could be made. He did however stress the importance of the work against climate change and putting 1,5 degrees as a target for the world to reach. He also advised that money that goes to climate adaption should be tripled.
Barth Eide stated that
Greta Thunberg
Greta Tintin Eleonora Ernman Thunberg (; born 3 January 2003) is a Swedish environmental activist who is known for challenging world leaders to take immediate action for climate change mitigation.
Thunberg's activism began when she persuaded ...
's statements of the seriousness of the climate crisis were acceptable, but he further warned that saying that the policies and the conference being useless, would be heading down a dangerous path. He further added a message to Thunberg and her supporters: "I believe that the strong and sensible commitment to make something happen must be converted into political action, not into rejecting the whole idea of democratic political change. It's a bit important to get that balance in order there, and that is my message to Greta Thunberg and those who cheer her on".
In late November, Eide approved the culling of 26 wolves living in various parts of Norway. On the issue, he commented: "The Ministry of Climate and the Environment has dealt with complaints about the predatory game committees' decisions on licensing of up to 26 wolves outside the wolf zone. We have not found grounds to change the decision. They are therefore final". The wolves are a critical endangered species in Norway.
2022
Barth Eide received criticism from the
Socialist Left Party in January 2022 after having spoken "warmly" about the country's oil and gas industry in a meeting with the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
's
Commissioner for Climate Action Frans Timmermans
Frans is an Afrikaans, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian, and Swedish given name, sometimes as a short form of ''François''. One cognate of Frans in English is '' Francis''.
Given name
* Frans van Aarssens (1572–1641), Dutch diplo ...
. The party's spokesperson for climate policy,
Lars Haltbrekken
Lars Haltbrekken (born 9 March 1971) is a Norwegian environmentalist and was elected to the Parliament of Norway in 2017 for the Socialist Left Party. He was chairman of Friends of the Earth Norway from 2005 to 2016 after having been deputy cha ...
, stated that his party "fears that fossil gas will displace renewable and emission-free energy". He also indicated that the party would question Barth Eide about the matter, and to "get him to realise that fossil energy is not the solution, not even in a temporary period". Barth Eide responded to the criticism, saying: "In an ideal world, one should really say that only completely green things are green. But part of the problem with taxonomy is that everything has to be green at once. Then you will not catch the transition from brown to green, which the gas can be if it replaces coal, but which it is not if it replaces wind. As long as you aim for zero emissions in the end, then this is a natural part of the way there".
Barth Eide and his predecessor,
Sveinung Rotevatn, both agreed that Norwegian politicians hasn't done enough to fight against climate change. Either he or Rotevatn expressed that the 1,5 target wasn't impossible to reach, although it could be difficult.
In response to a joint letter from governors and mayors from the area surrounding the
Oslo fjord
The Oslofjord (, ; en, Oslo Fjord) is an inlet in the south-east of Norway, stretching from an imaginary line between the and lighthouses and down to in the south to Oslo in the north. It is part of the Skagerrak strait, connecting the Nor ...
regarding nitrogen pollution, Barth Eide responded saying that he appreciated the enthusiasm regarding the issue. He also promised to meet the effected local leaders regarding measures to strengthen nitrogen purification and solutions to other issues mentioned in the letter.
In early February, Eide announced that the government had won in the appeal court against a temporary injunction to further cull 26 wolves inside the designated wolf zone. The culling of the wolves started the very next day, bringing the Norwegian wolf even closer to extinction.
After the Centre Party's parliamentary leader
Marit Arnstad
Marit Arnstad (born 4 May 1962) is a Norwegian lawyer and politician for the Centre Party. She is currently the party’s parliamentary leader since 2014, having previously held the office from 2003 to 2005. Arnstad was the Norwegian Minister of ...
had suggested that Norway's climate good may have to be pushed back, Eide responded, saying that they would not do so. He also stated that going back on climate ambitions was not the way forward, but instead opt to maintain them and or strengthen them. He also noted that the strategy to reach said targets were not specific, but the goal is binding. Eide also didn't rule out tightening the grip on the climate goal.
On 30 May, he announced the establishment of a new environmental council, which would only be so in name, and would officially be a "council for fair workplace adjustment". The intended purpose is for workers and their employers to offer solutions. Barth Eide stated: "This applies to steel and smelters, it applies to cement production and heavy industry. We must come up with solutions for chemical processes and new energy sources to manage this, together". Although environmental groups expressed understanding for the inclusion of workers and employers, they were critical of being left out, despite having previously been invited to similar councils to either negotiate or handle questions of political solutions. The leader of the
Norwegian Society for the Conservation of Nature, Truls Gulowsen, said: "Of course, we agree that the labour partners should have a central role, but this does not preclude others from being involved, especially if the council is to have real significance in the work with record-breaking emission cuts".
On 22 June, it was announced that the government would establish protection over Lopphavet, making it the largest ocean protected area in the country. Eide stated: "We have targeted the protection measures against the natural values that were important to protect". Despite the ocean's protection, fishing would still be allowed in it, to which he said: "It will have little effect on the activity that is there today. We have received great local support for the measure". The only exception would be two coral areas. The protection of the area would be headed by the municipalities of
Alta,
Hasvik
Hasvik ( sme, Ákŋoluovtta gielda; fkv, Hasviikan komuuni) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Breivikbotn. Other villages in the municipality include Breivik ...
and
Loppa
Loppa ( sme, Láhppi and fkv, Lappea) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Øksfjord. Other villages in Loppa include Andsnes, Bergsfjord, Langfjordhamn, Lop ...
, along with
Troms og Finnmark
Troms og Finnmark (; sme, Romsa ja Finnmárku ; fkv, Tromssa ja Finmarkku; fi, Tromssa ja Finnmark, lit. Troms and Finnmark in English language, English), is a Counties of Norway, county in Northern Norway, northern Norway that was established ...
county and the
Sámi Parliament of Norway
sje, Sámedigge sju, Sámiediggie sma, Saemiedigkie sms, Sääʹmteʹǧǧ no, Sametinget
, legislature = 9th Sámi Parliament
, coa_pic = Nordsamisk_farge_symmetrisk_stor-01.svg
, house_type = Unicameral
, foundation ...
.
While attending the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
ocean conference on 27 June, Barth Eide announced that the Norwegian government would be establishing an ocean environmental law. The law would allow the government to establish protection areas reaching up to 200 nautical miles. He said: "Once we have the law in place, we can establish protection in all of the sea Norway manages. This is closely linked to what Norway and the UN want. We must become better at managing the sea in a sustainable way".
In August, Bath Eide expressed disagreement with fellow party member
Trond Giske
Trond Giske (born 7 November 1966) is a Norwegian former politician who served as deputy leader of the Labour Party from 2015 until his resignation in 2018 as a result of the so-called Giske affair. He announced his permanent withdrawal from po ...
over the government's plan to develop new renewable power in Norway before regulating the relationship with foreign exports. Bath Eide expressed that he believed that electricity might continue to be expensive and that there was no reason "to believe it would become less expensive immediately".
On 29 August, ''
Dagbladet
''Dagbladet'' (lit.: ''The Daily Magazine'') is one of Norway's largest newspapers and is published in the tabloid format. It has 1,400,000 daily readers on mobile, web and paper. Traditionally ''Dagbladet'' is considered the main liberal newsp ...
'' revealed that Barth Eide and his ministry had rejected a request from Ukraine regarding the need for personal protective equipment for rangers in the country. The rejection letter stated that Norway didn't have the equipment in question available for donation.
On 6 October, as part of the state budget for 2023, Barth Eide presented plans to tackle climate change in what he dubbed "the green book". The budget included plans to cut emissions from 23,9 million tons to 23,2 million, while additional measures would assist it being fill the gap of 0,2 million. Environmental organisations reacted widely negative to the budget proposal for climate and environment issues, citing the cuts weren't sufficient enough to reach Norway's climate goal in 2030.
In early November, Liberal Party leader
Guri Melby
Guri Melby (born 3 February 1981) is a Norway, Norwegian politician for the Liberal Party (Norway), Liberal Party. She has served as the party leader since 2020 and Minister of Education from 2020 to 2021.
Career Local politics
From 1999 to 2006 ...
accused Barth Eide of hiding the real figures for car emissions in a
Norwegian Automobile Federation
Norwegian Automobile Federation ( no, Norges Automobil-Forbund, NAF) is a Norwegian association of car owners, established in 1924, and member of Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile. The federation has 73 local chapters and more than 500,0 ...
report. State Secretary Ragnhild Syrstad, on Barth Eide's behalf, assured that process was being made on selling electricity cars and reach the 2025 goal.
While attending the
2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference in
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
, Eide defended Norway's position on confusing to produce oil while also calling for increased climate costs. He added that he wasn't impressed by the notion of stopping oil production and the sudden occurrence of a energy revolution, also that oil among other things, should be phased out gradually.
Eide attended the
2022 United Nations Biodiversity Conference in
Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...
, where he encouraged cooperation between countries to solve the nature crisis. He also led the end-negotiations at the conference and also expressed hope for a solution by the end of the it's duration. On 19 December, a nature agreement was made by all countries at the conference. Barth Eide praised the agreement, also praising it for it's "clear language". The agreement had however been blocked by
DR Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...
before being ratified.
Chair of the Board, Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue
In December 2013, Eide joined the Board of the
Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD), a private diplomacy organisation whose mission is to help mitigate armed violence through dialogue and mediation. Since 2016 he was Vice Chair and from June 2019, he has been the chair of the Board of the
Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue.
He resigned from this post when he was appointed minister on 14 October 2021.
Board memberships, SIPRI and The Norwegian Atlantic Committee
Eide was a member of the board of the
Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) from 2017 to 2021, and was a board member of the
Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI) from 2014 to 2017. From 2017 to 2021, he was a member of the Board of the Norwegian Atlantic Committee and a member of the
European Leadership Network
European Leadership Network (ELN) is a pan-European think-tank focusing on European foreign, defence and security issues based in London, United Kingdom. The ELN's Director is Sir Adam Thomson, former UK Permanent Representative to NATO.
Histo ...
(ELN) in London.
Special Adviser for Cyprus
In 2014, he was appointed UN Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon (; ; born 13 June 1944) is a South Korean politician and diplomat who served as the eighth secretary-general of the United Nations between 2007 and 2016. Prior to his appointment as secretary-general, Ban was his country's Minister ...
's Special Adviser for
Cyprus
Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...
. As a UN Under-Secretary General, Eide led th
United Nations Good Offices Mission in Cyprus for three years In 2016, after two years of intensified negotiations and liaison, he stated that both sides are strongly committed to the peace process and that settlement discussions are held without taboos on all issues. He was reappointed in this position by Secretary General
António Guterres in 2017. An International Conference on Cyprus was inaugurated on 12 January 2017 in Geneva, but closed without having arrived at a final settlement at its last session in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, on 6 July 2017.
On 14 August 2017, he announced his resignation as UN special envoy to Cyprus in order to run for elected office in Norway. A new Special Adviser has so far not been appointed and negotiations have not resumed.
Personal life
Barth Eide is married and has three sons. He met his wife in the late 1980s in
Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
, when they were both active in the
European Movement
The European Movement International is a lobbying association that coordinates the efforts of associations and national councils with the goal of promoting European integration, and disseminating information about it.
History
The origins of th ...
. His oldest son was at
Utøya
Utøya () is an island in the Tyrifjorden lake in Hole municipality, in the county of Viken, Norway. The island is , situated off the shore, by the E16 road, about driving distance south of Hønefoss, and northwest of Oslo city centre.
Ove ...
at the time of the
2011 Norway attacks, and ultimately survived it.
References
External links
Regjeringen.no biography
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Eide, Espen Barth
1964 births
Living people
Foreign Ministers of Norway
Labour Party (Norway) politicians
Ministers of Climate and the Environment of Norway
Norwegian political scientists
Norwegian state secretaries
People educated at Oslo Cathedral School
University of Oslo alumni
Defence ministers of Norway