27 Facts About Erik Solheim

Erik Solheim was born on 18 January 1955 and is a Norwegian diplomat and former politician.

Erik Solheim served in the Norwegian government from 2005 to 2012 as Minister of International Development and Minister of the Environment, and as Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme from 2016 to 2018.

Erik Solheim was leader of the Socialist Left Party from 1987 to 1997.

In 2000 Erik Solheim left Norwegian politics to take up an appointment as a special adviser in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs working as a participant in the Norwegian delegation that unsuccessfully attempted to resolve the Sri Lankan Civil War before the outbreak of Eelam War IV.

Erik Solheim returned to Norwegian politics in 2005 when he was appointed Minister of International Development.

Erik Solheim was Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme from 2016 to 2018.

Since he left the government, Erik Solheim sometimes made critical remarks about the Socialist Left Party.

Erik Solheim later expressed his support for the centrist Green Party and was active as a strategic adviser for the party during the 2015 elections.

Erik Solheim became a member of the Green Party in 2019.

Erik Solheim was controversial within his own party because he was considered to be too right-wing.

Erik Solheim was appointed Minister of International Development on 17 October 2005 as part of Stoltenberg's Second Cabinet, the first time Erik Solheim's party sat in the Cabinet.

Erik Solheim went on to become one of the most recognizable figures in the peace negotiations between the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil Tigers.

Erik Solheim met with the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister and US Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns on 23 January 2006.

Erik Solheim then went north and met with Tamil Tiger rebel leader Velupillai Prabhakaran and rebel negotiator Anton Balasingham.

Dumeetha Luthra of BBC News said Erik Solheim's visit was seen as crucial to saving the truce.

Erik Solheim announced on 12 September 2006 that the Government of Sri Lanka and the Tamil Tigers had agreed to hold "unconditional peace talks" in October in Oslo.

Erik Solheim expressed a desire for a "sincere commitment to the process from the LTTE leader Prabakaran" to reporters.

Erik Solheim's attempts of peacemaking were in the end unsuccessful, with the Asian Tribune concluding that "his handling relationship with Sri Lanka" was an "utter failure".

Erik Solheim rejected the idea of a separate State in Sri Lanka and urged the Tamil Diaspora to seek dialogue and work through democratic means to achieve their goals.

Erik Solheim defended himself against accusations of nepotism and conflict of interest.

In January 2013, Erik Solheim was appointed head of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's Development Assistance Committee.

Erik Solheim took over from Brian Atwood who stepped down in December 2012.

Erik Solheim focussed on reform of official development assistance, providing more support to the least developed countries.

Erik Solheim has sought to blend development assistance with private investment and better taxation systems in recipient countries.

In May 2016, Erik Solheim was appointed Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme.

Erik Solheim succeeded Achim Steiner in that post in June 2016.

Erik Solheim stated that climate coalitions will still win in spite of the Trump election.