The Norwegian Government has presented former government minister Børge Brende to the post as executive director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). The nomination was made in a letter today from Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.

Mr. Brende was Norway's minister of the environment 2001-2004 and minister of trade and industry 2004-2005. He is now a Member of Storting (parliament) for the Conservative Party.

In his letter Prime Minister Stoltenberg says Mr. Brende is eminently qualified to the post as head of UNEP. He refers to Mr. Brende's extensive international network in the fields of environment, industry and business, and that Mr. Brende in 2004 chaired the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD12).

Prime Minister Stoltenberg's letter to Secretary General Kofi Annan reads as follows:

"Thank you for your letter of 14 December 2005, regarding the position of Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

I am very pleased to inform you that Norway would like to present the candidature of Mr Børge Brende whom I consider to be eminently qualified for the post.

Mr Brende has been both Minister of the Environment and Minister of Trade and Industry. He is a long-standing member of the Norwegian parliament, and has served on the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs and on the Standing Committee on Energy and the Environment.

I believe Mr Brende’s experience as Minister of the Environment and his extensive international network in the fields of environment, industry and business are an excellent match for the criteria you set out for the position. As Chair of CSD12 Mr Brende succeeded in attracting broad, high-level participation from governments, the business community and civil society, thus revitalising the CSD as the global forum for sustainable development. He also succeeded in highlighting the special needs of developing countries.

As Minister of the Environment, Mr Brende showed a keen interest in global environmental governance, including the need for a strong and efficient UN system.

Mr Brende has extensive national and international leadership experience and has demonstrated excellent leadership skills. He is energetic and dynamic, with a high capacity for work, and he is capable of implementing modernisation programmes and changes when and where they are needed. Moreover he has a strong commitment to global environmental cooperation and extensive knowledge of global environmental issues. In short, I am confident that Mr Brende fully meets your main criteria, and is an excellent candidate for this position.

Please accept, Your Excellency, the assurance of my highest consideration.

Yours sincerely,

Jens Stoltenberg".