From 1971-73 he served in the Norwegian Foreign Ministry Political Department in charge of Norway's bilateral relations with countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America, and thereafter in charge of Norway's participation in the United Nations organization and other international organizations (1973-75), and he was also responsible for Norway's relations with African liberation movements (1971-75). His many other career assignments over 37 years of service include: Deputy Permanent Representative of Norway to the United Nations, 1975-79. Special Advisor to the Norwegian Foreign Ministry (ambassadorial rank), in charge of questions regarding Norway's membership in the Security Council, 1979-80. Director General of the Department of Political Affairs in the Norwegian Foreign Ministry, 1981-82. Permanent Representative of Norway to the United Nations, 1982-l989. Member of Norway's delegation to the United Nations General Assembly, 1972-81, and Vice Chairman, 1982-89. Member of Norway's delegation to the United Nations 6th-10th Special Sessions and Vice Chairman to the 12th, 13th and 14th Special Sessions. Member of Norway's delegation to UNDP's Governing Council, 1975-77. Chairman of Norway's delegation to the ECOSOC, 1982-84 and 1987-89. Vice Chairman of the Committee of 24 (decolonization), 1975-77. Member of the Committee's High Level ad hoc Group visiting Tanzania, Zambia, Botswana, Mozambique, Ethiopia and the United Kingdom of Britain, 1976. Member of the United Nations 3-member observer team to the first national election in Djibouti, 1977. Member of the Norwegian delegations to the United Nations Conference in Maputo and Lagos on Southern Africa, 1977. Chairman of the Fourth Committee at the United Nations 31st General Assembly. Chairman of the First Committee at the United Nations 38th General Assembly. Chairman of the United Nations Educational and Training Program for Southern Africa, 1983-89. Vice President for Coordination, World Conference to Review and Appraise the Achievements of the United Nations Decade for Women, Nairobi, 1985. Chairman of the Group of High-Level Intergovernmental Experts to Review the Efficiency of the Administrative and Financial Functioning of the United Nations, 1986. Chairman of the Intergovernmental Group to Monitor the Supply and Shipping of Petroleum Products to South Africa,1987-89. Chairman of the ad hoc Committee of the Whole of the General Assembly on the Review and Appraisal of the United Nations Program of Action for African Economic Recovery and Development, 1986-90. Vice President of the United Nations General Assembly, 1989. Minister of Development Cooperation, 1989-90. President of the Bergen Ministerial Conference on Environment and Development, May 1990. Senior Vice President of Saga Petroleum a.s., Public Relations and International Affairs, January 1991. Assistant Secretary General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 1992. Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary General to South Africa, November 1992. Ambassador to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1994-96. Last year he was appointed ambassador to the United States. He comes to San Diego this year for his first May 17th celebration in the U.S. since becoming ambassador to this country. Other achievements of Ambassador Vraalsen include co-authoring a book about the United Nations, UN in Focus, published in 1975 (240 pages), which has been widely used in Norwegian colleges and universities, and author of another book about the United Nations, The UN - Dream and Reality, published in 1984 (200 pages). Ambassador Vraalsen was born January 1936 in Oslo. He and his wife, Viebecke, have five children. |
