Mr. Kjell Magne Bondevik

Mr. Kjell Magne Bondevik is the founder and President of the Oslo Center for Peace and Human Rights. He was Prime Minister of Norway 1997-2000 and 2001-2005, Minister of Foreign Affairs 1989-1990, Minister of Church and Education 1983-1986, and State Secretary of The Office of the Prime Minister 1972-1973. Mr. Bondevik was member of the Parliament from 1973-2005 representing the Christian Democratic Party, and was leader of the Christian Democratic Party 1983-1995. He served as the UN Secretary General’s Special Humanitarian Envoy for the Horn of Africa from February 2006-June 2007 in response to recurrent drought and food insecurity devastating the region.

Mr. Bondevik is a Theological Candidate from Norway’s Free Faculty of Theology and in 1979 he was ordained as a priest in the Lutheran Church of Norway. He is an Honorary Doctor of law at Suffolk University in Boston, USA, Honorary Doctor of Politics at Wonkwang University in Seoul, Republic of Korea, Honorary Doctor of Philosophy at Kyung Hee University in Seoul, Republic of Korea and Honorary Professor at the Gumiljov University in Astana, Kazakhstan. Mr. Bondevik is bearer of the Grand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav, the Grand Cross of Latvia’s Terra Mariana Order, the Grand Cross of Italia’s Order of Merit, the Grand Cross of Portugal’s Order of Merit and the Grand Cross of Guatemala’s Order of the Quetzal.