Hans Blix facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hans Blix
Blix during a debate about NATO in Stockholm, 2015
1st Executive Chairman of the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission
In office 1 March 2000 – 30 June 2003
Preceded by	None
Succeeded by	Dimitris Perrikos
3rd Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency
In office 1981 – 1 December 1997
Preceded by	Sigvard Eklund
Succeeded by	Mohamed ElBaradei
Minister for Foreign Affairs
In office 18 October 1978 – 12 October 1979
Monarch	Carl XVI Gustaf
Prime Minister	Ola Ullsten
Preceded by	Karin Söder
Succeeded by	Ola Ullsten
President, World Federation of United Nations Associations
In office 2006 – 11 August 2009
Preceded by	Rhyl Jansen
Succeeded by	Park Soo-gil
Personal details
Born	Hans Martin Blix (1928-06-28) 28 June 1928 (age 97) Uppsala, Sweden
Political party	Liberal People's Party
Spouse	Eva Kettis ​ (m. 1962)​
Parents	Gunnar Blix Hertha Wiberg

Hans Martin Blix (born June 28, 1928) is a famous diplomat and politician from Sweden. A diplomat is a person who represents their country in other nations. Blix served as Sweden's Minister for Foreign Affairs from 1978 to 1979.

Later, he became the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The IAEA is an organization that works to make sure nuclear energy is used safely and peacefully. During his time there, he was the first person from the West to visit the site of the Chernobyl disaster in the Soviet Union.

From 2000 to 2003, Blix led the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC). His team was sent to Iraq to search for powerful weapons called weapons of mass destruction. They did not find any. In March 2003, the United States told the inspectors to leave Iraq before the start of the Iraq War.

Early Life and Education

Hans Blix was born in Uppsala, Sweden. His father, Gunnar Blix, and grandfather, Magnus Blix, were both professors. He studied at several universities, including Uppsala University in Sweden and Columbia University in the United States. He earned a PhD from the University of Cambridge in England.

Blix also earned a degree in international law from Stockholm University. International law is the set of rules that countries agree to follow when dealing with each other. He later became a professor of international law at the same university.

A Career in Diplomacy

From 1962 to 1978, Blix was part of Sweden's team at the Disarmament Conference in Geneva. This conference worked on reducing the number of weapons in the world. He also represented Sweden at the United Nations for 20 years, from 1961 to 1981.

For one year, from 1978 to 1979, he was Sweden's Foreign Minister. This role made him responsible for Sweden's relationships with other countries.

Head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (1981–1997)

In 1981, Hans Blix became the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). He led the agency for 16 years.

One of his first major tasks was to inspect a nuclear reactor in Iraq called Osiraq. Some countries worried that Iraq might use it to build a nuclear weapon. The reactor was later destroyed by an Israeli Air Force attack in 1981.

A very serious event during his time at the IAEA was the Chernobyl disaster in 1986. A nuclear power plant in the Soviet Union had a major accident. Blix and the IAEA played a key role in investigating what happened and how to prevent it from happening again.

Searching for Weapons in Iraq (2002–2003)

In 2002, the United Nations asked Blix to lead a new team of weapons inspectors. This team, called UNMOVIC, was sent to Iraq. Their job was to see if the country had any weapons of mass destruction (WMDs). WMDs are nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons that can cause great harm.

Blix and his team conducted about 700 inspections across Iraq. In a report to the UN Security Council in February 2003, he stated that they had not found any WMDs.

The United States and the United Kingdom believed that Iraq did have these weapons. They felt the threat was very serious. Blix later said he thought the two governments exaggerated the danger to build support for the war in Iraq. After the invasion, no active WMDs were ever found, which supported Blix's findings.

In his 2004 book, Disarming Iraq, Blix wrote about his experiences as a weapons inspector. He said that some people in Washington were unhappy with his work and spread "nasty things in the media" about him.

Later Work and Initiatives

After leaving the UN, Hans Blix continued to work on issues of world peace and security.

Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission

Starting in 2003, Blix led the Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission. This group, based in Sweden, studied ways to reduce the threat of these dangerous weapons around the world.

United Arab Emirates Nuclear Program

In 2010, Blix became the head of an advisory board for the United Arab Emirates' new nuclear power program. His role is to help make sure the program is safe and peaceful.

Awards and Honors

Hans Blix has received many awards for his work in diplomacy and for promoting peace. Some of his honors include:

• The H. M. The King's Medal from Sweden (1998)
• The Commander of the Legion of Honour from France (2004)
• The Sydney Peace Prize (2007)
• The Fulbright Prize (2014)

He has also received honorary degrees from many universities, including the University of Cambridge and the University of Moscow.

See also

In Spanish: Hans Blix para niños