Press Release: International IDEA Member States Elect New Chairman and Deputy Secretary-General

Press Release

International IDEA Member States Elect New Chairman
and Deputy Secretary-General

Former Norwegian Foreign Minister Thorvald Stoltenberg has been elected as the new Chairman of the Board of International IDEA, it was announced today. He succeeds Sir Shridath Ramphal, former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth and Co-Chairman of the Commission on Global Governance in the position.

In addition Board Member Dr Erling Olsen, ex-Speaker of the Danish Parliament will take up the new position of Deputy Secretary-General at International IDEA in July 2001. The announcements come during meetings of the International IDEA Board and Council being held 25-27 June at the organization's Stockholm headquarters in the lead-up to the Democracy Forum 2001, a two-day event devoted to the theme 'Democracy and the Information Revolution: Values, Opportunities and Threats', which opens at Stadshuset, Stockholm tomorrow.

A distinguished Norwegian statesman of renowned international standing, Thorvald Stoltenberg was UN High Commissioner for Refugees in 1990. He was appointed Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for the former Yugoslavia in 1993, and served as Co-Chairman of the Steering Committee of the International Conference on the former Yugoslavia from 1993-95. In Norway he has served both as Foreign Minister and Defence Minister, and was the country's ambassador to Denmark from 1996-1999. He currently serves as President of the Norwegian Red Cross.

"International IDEA's most important mission is and will be to meet the increasing demands for democracy assistance", says Stoltenberg.

Dr Erling Olsen is a leading academic and parliamentary figure in Denmark. He has been Professor of Economics at the University of Copenhagen and Professor of International Economics and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Roskilde. As a member of the Danish Parliament since 1964 he has represented his country in various international fora. He was Minister of Housing (1978-82), Minister of Justice (1993-94) and Speaker of the Danish Parliament from 1994-98. Since 1999 he has represented the Danish Prime Minister in the Convention drafting the European Unions Charter on fundamental rights.

The Democracy Forum 2001 takes place 27-29 June, under the title of 'Democracy and the Information Revolution: Opportunities, Values and Threats'. More than 250 IT specialists and business leaders, election managers, policy makers, development experts and politicians from around the world will gather in Stockholm to participate in the discussions. Keynote speakers at the Forum include: President of Finland Tarja Halonen; Deputy Prime Minister of Sweden, Lena Hjelm-Wallén; EU Commissioner Erkki Liikanen; World Bank Vice-President Mats Karlsson; Chair of ASP Industry Consortium and Vice President of Citrix Corporation Traver Gruen-Kennedy; Spokeswoman of the European Parliament Lone Dybkjaer; Grameen Bank President Muhammad Yunus; and Harvard University Professor Pippa Norris.

Outcomes of the Democracy Forum will include a set of policy recommendations on the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to promote democracy. These will be presented to the forthcoming World Economic Forum meeting in Salzburg (1-3 July) and G8 summit in Genoa (15-22 July), in connection with a DOT Force - the G-8 Digital Opportunity Task Force - Report on digital opportunities.

The Forum starts 27 June with an opening ceremony in Stadshuset (Gyllene Salen) at 14.30, and continues 28-29 June at Norra Latin (Barnhusgatan 14). Press conferences will be held, with a number of key Forum participants in attendance, on June 28 and 29 (Time 12.30. Location: inside the main conference centre).

Additional background information on Forum themes, participants etc. will shortly be available on the International IDEA web site.

To receive Forum media updates and for press registration contact Monika Ericson. (Tel: +46-8-698 3744, E-mail: m.ericson@idea.int)

For further information on the Democracy Forum, including the Forum programme, workshops and plenaries schedule visit: www.idea.int

The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) exists to nurture, sustain and promote democracy around the world. Global in membership and scope, independent of specific national interests, and quick in its response, International IDEA is an intergovernmental organization with a unique mandate - to support the growth of genuine, sustainable democracy.