Jonathan Pugh

The three Scandinavian states of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden all played an important role in shaping international environmental policy from 1970 to 2000, and they have all been key norm entrepreneurs in a variety of International Organizations. Following the growth of the environmentalist movement in the 1960s, Sweden had a pivotal role in the launch of the United Nation’s Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm and all three states took on the issue of acid rain in the 1970s. The countries’ diplomacy and expertise in environmental issues throughout 1980s and 90s included Norway’s high-profile position within the World Commission on Environment and Development, and their early efforts to fight climate change and, with respect to Denmark and Sweden, to shape the environmental policies of the European Union.

Jan Eliasson has been one of Sweden’s most prominent diplomats since as far back as the 1970s. Not only has he served in key roles for the Swedish Foreign Ministry and international organizations, but he is also renowned for his role as a mediator in numerous conflicts. His support for the concept of conflict prevention within the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and for human rights in general, arguably, helped to develop new global norms. Among his many roles, he served as Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations from 2012 to 2016.