Mr Thorvald Stoltenberg is a prominent Norwegian politician. He has served as Minister of Defence and Minister of Foreign Affairs in two governments. He has also served as his country’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York.

He was subsequently appointed United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and has also served as Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for the former Yugoslavia and UN Co-Chairman of the Steering Committee of the International Conference on the former Yugoslavia.

In 2003 he was Chairman of the Board of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) and was President of the Norwegian Red Cross. He is also a member of the Trilateral Commission, and holds a seat on their Executive Committee. His son, Jens Stoltenberg, is serving his second term as Prime Minister of Norway.