Jan Egeland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jan Egeland
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg) |
|
| Born | 12 September 1957 Stavanger, Rogaland, Norway
|
| Alma mater | University of Oslo (Mg) University of California, Berkeley |
| Occupation | Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council |
| Known for | Humanitarian work |
| Political party | Labour Party |
| Spouse(s) | Anne Kristin Sydnes |
| Children | 2 |
Jan Egeland (born September 12, 1957) is a well-known Norwegian diplomat and humanitarian leader. He has been the Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council since 2013. Before this, he worked for the United Nations and the Norwegian government, always focusing on helping people in difficult situations around the world.
Throughout his career, Jan Egeland has held many important roles. He was a director at Human Rights Watch, which works to protect human rights. He also led the Norwegian Red Cross and was a leader at Amnesty International in Norway. He is also a professor at the University of Stavanger.
Contents
Early Life and Learning
Jan Egeland is the son of a Norwegian politician named Kjølv Egeland. He went to school in Stavanger. He studied Political Science at the University of Oslo. He also studied at the University of California, Berkeley in the United States. His studies focused on how different countries handle diplomacy. He also spent time at peace research centers in Oslo and Jerusalem.
Career Highlights
Starting Out in Humanitarian Work
Jan Egeland began helping others when he was still in high school. He worked with Amnesty International in the 1970s, helping people who had disappeared in Chile. At just 19, he spent a month working with a relief group in Colombia.
He later became a leader for Amnesty International in Norway. He was also a vice-chair for the international part of Amnesty, being the youngest person ever to hold that job at age 23. He worked for the Norwegian Red Cross and reported international news for Norwegian television and radio.
Jan Egeland first became widely known as the Secretary General of the Norwegian Red Cross. He worked hard to stop the spread of small weapons and joined the global effort against landmines. When the Iraq War started in 2003, he warned the world about the worsening conditions for people in cities like Baghdad.
Working for the Government
Jan Egeland also worked for the Norwegian government. He was a State Secretary in the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1990 to 1997. In this role, he created systems that sent over 2,000 experts and aid workers to international organizations.
During his time in government, he played a part in several peace efforts. He helped start talks between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in 1992. These talks led to the Oslo Accord in 1993. He also helped with peace talks in Guatemala in 1996. In 1997, he led the meeting in Oslo where the Ottawa Treaty to ban landmines was agreed upon.
Helping Through the UN
After leaving his government job, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan asked Jan Egeland to be his special advisor for Colombia. He worked in this role from 1999 to 2002.
In August 2003, Jan Egeland became the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator at the UN. This meant he led the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). During his time, he started important reforms that led to the creation of the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) in 2005. This fund helps get money quickly to places needing emergency aid.
He focused on helping people in tough situations, like those affected by conflict in Uganda, Darfur in Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. He also worked to help people after natural disasters, such as the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and Hurricane Katrina. He also raised awareness about issues like gender equality and helping people who are forced to move within their own country.
In 2015, Jan Egeland was appointed to lead a group focused on safety and protection for the Vienna peace talks for Syria. He supported the UN Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura. From 2016 to 2018, he was de Mistura's humanitarian advisor. In 2021, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres asked him to join a panel to advise on how to improve humanitarian aid in Syria.
Other Important Work
Jan Egeland is involved in many other groups that work for peace and humanitarian aid.
- He is a member of the Board of Trustees for the International Crisis Group (since 2010).
- He chaired the Board of Trustees for the Humanitarian Leadership Academy (2015-2016).
- He was part of a panel on humanitarian cash transfers at the Overseas Development Institute (2015).
- He is an Honorary Associate at the Refugee Studies Centre at the University of Oxford.
- He is an Executive Board Member of The Global Executive Leadership Initiative (GELI).
- He was appointed as an Eminent Person for the Grand Bargain in 2021, which aims to improve humanitarian aid.
Views on Global Issues
Helping During Conflicts
In 2006, during the conflict in Lebanon, Jan Egeland said that Hezbollah was hiding among civilians. He also stated that Israeli attacks were against humanitarian law. He suggested a 72-hour ceasefire to help move injured people and get supplies into the war zone. Israel initially rejected this, but later agreed to a 48-hour halt.
In March 2008, Egeland gave a speech about how war, peace, and climate change affect billions of lives.
Tsunami Relief Efforts
After the huge 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, Jan Egeland spoke about how rich Western countries should give more aid. He said that some countries' aid was "stingy." This comment was taken out of context by some media, making it seem like he was criticizing the United States directly. However, he later clarified that he was talking about a long-term goal for all wealthy nations to give more to humanitarian efforts.
Despite the initial misunderstanding, his "stingy" comment actually helped increase donations. He later said that the donations were so large, they had to double-check the numbers. He also praised the help from militaries, saying their helicopters were "worth their weight in gold." Time magazine later called him "the world's conscience."
Aid for Lebanon
In July 2006, Jan Egeland asked for $150 million in aid for Lebanon. This was after parts of Lebanon were destroyed during the 2006 Lebanon War, causing many people to become refugees.
He was critical of both sides in the conflict. He strongly criticized Hezbollah for "cowardly blending" among women and children. He said, "I don't think anyone should be proud of having many more children and women dead than armed men." He stressed that a stop to fighting was needed because civilians were suffering the most.
Gaza Violence
During a visit to the Gaza Strip to see the damage, Jan Egeland said that bombing a power plant would hurt schools and hospitals more than fighters. He stated that attacking civilian buildings is against international law.
In October 2023, he criticized the October 2023 Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip. He said that "collective punishment is against international law." He warned that if children died in hospitals due to lack of power and supplies, it could be a war crime. He also spoke about the great suffering of innocent Palestinians and urged for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, saying that "history will be watching."
Syrian Civil War
Jan Egeland has led the United Nations group working on getting humanitarian aid into Syria. In 2017, as the UN Senior Advisor for Syria, he pushed for aid convoys and medical evacuations to happen at the same time.
Awards and Recognition
Awards Received
- 2005 – Peer Gynt Prize
- 2005 – Roger E. Joseph Prize
- 2008 – Four Freedoms Award
Other Honors
In 2006, Time magazine named Jan Egeland one of the 100 "people who shape our world."
In 2012, the Norwegian comedy group Ylvis made a funny rock song about Jan Egeland. They called him "the United Nations superhero man" and "a peacekeeping machine." Jan Egeland said he found the song "hilarious." As of July 2025, the video has been watched over 20 million times.
Personal Life
Jan Egeland was married to Anne Kristin Sydnes, who was a Norwegian Minister of International Development. She passed away in 2017. They had two daughters.
See also
In Spanish: Jan Egeland para niños
