(Stockholm, 14 February) The Swedish Government has formally appointed Espen Barth Eide as a new member of the SIPRI Governing Board.
Espen Barth Eide is a Norwegian politician and academic. He is currently the United Nations Special Advisor on Cyprus, chairing the negotiations aimed at reunifying the divided island.
From 2014–16, he was Managing Director of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Geneva. Until October 2013, Mr Eide was Norway’s Minister of Foreign Affairs. During his 10 years in government, he also held the positions of Minister of Defence, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Deputy Minister of Defence.
'We are extremely honoured that Espen Barth Eide has accepted our invitation. His impressive career and experience both as politician and academic is a truly beneficial combination for SIPRI and we look forward to his contributions to SIPRI's Governing Board' says SIPRI's Chairman of the Governing Board, Sven-Olof Petersson.
Apart from his posts in government, Mr Eide has pursued a research career in political science. From 1993 to 2000, he was at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI) where, from 2002 to 2005, he directed the Department of International Politics. He has been involved in several United Nations reform and lessons-learned activities as well as in a number of peace negotiations worldwide. As well as the SIPRI Board, Mr Eide is a Vice Chair of the Humanitarian Dialogue Centre in Geneva, a Board Member of NUPI and a Senior Adviser to the CSIS in Washington, DC.
'With our broadening research portfolio, Espen's expertise brings an exciting new input to our research on peacebuilding, mediation and the global institutional arena', says SIPRI's Director Dan Smith. 'Especially with the current global outlook, I am grateful that Espen will strengthen our opportunities to make a difference.'
The Governing Board takes the strategic decisions on SIPRI's research agenda, activities, organization and financial administration. Mr Eide joins a board of individuals with profound and broad-ranging expertise in diplomacy, policy formation, academia and research.
More information on SIPRI’s Governing Board members can be found here, and on the organization structure here.
For further information, please contact Stephanie Blenckner (blenckner@sipri.org, +46 8 655 97 47) or Harri Thomas (harri.thomas@sipri.org, +46 70 972 39 50).