New Director-General of WHO: Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland

Press Release WHO/15 / 27 January 1998

DR GRO HARLEM BRUNDTLAND NOMINATED FOR THE POST OF DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF WHO

The 101st session of the Executive Board of the World Health Organization (WHO), meeting under the chairmanship of Dr Abdelhamid Aberkane, passed a resolution nominating Dr Gro Harlem Brundtland for the post of Director-General of the World Health Organization, in accordance with article 31 of the Constitution of WHO. This nomination will be submitted to the Fifty-first World Health Assembly, which will meet in Geneva from 11-15 May 1998. The new Director-General will take office on 21 July 1998.

Dr Gro Harlem Brundtland was born on 20 April 1939 in Oslo, Norway. She studied medicine at the University of Oslo, from which she obtained her M.D. degree in 1963. She received the degree of Master of Public Health from Harvard University in 1965.
From 1965 to 1967 Dr Brundtland served as medical officer at the Norwegian Directorate of Health. From 1968 to 1974, she was Assistant medical Director at the Oslo Board of health, Department of School Services. In 1974, Dr Brundtland was appointed Minister of Environment, a position she held for five years. Appointed Prime Minister for the first time in 1981, Dr Brundtland held this position three times, the latest service from 1990 to October 1996. Altogether she was Head of Government for more than 10 years.

Among her numerous international positions, Dr Brundtland chaired, starting in 1983, the World Commission on Environment and Development, which coined the concept of "sustainable development" and made recommendations leading to the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. Dr Brundtland is married and is a mother of four, and a grand-mother of seven.

Related stories:

Executive Board Reinforces Chagas Disease, Leprosy Elimination Efforts (26 January, 1998)

Shortlist of Candidates for the Post of Director-General (20 January, 1998)

101st Session of the WHO Executive Board Opens in Geneva: Director General's Statement (19 January, 1998)

101st Session of the WHO Executive Board to Open on Monday: Scene Setter (16 January, 1998)

For further information, journalists can contact Philippe Stroot,Coordinator Media Relations, WHO, Geneva. Telephone (41 22) 791 25 35. Fax (41 22) 791 48 58. E-mail strootp@who.ch. All WHO Press Releases, Fact Sheets and Features as well as other information on this subject can be obtained on Internet on the WHO home page http://www.who.ch/


Press Release WHO/15 / 27 January 1998 DR GRO HARLEM BRUNDTLAND NOMINATED FOR THE POST OF DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF WHO
	The 101st session of the Executive Board of the World Health Organization (WHO), meeting under the chairmanship of Dr Abdelhamid Aberkane, passed a resolution nominating Dr Gro Harlem Brundtland for the post of Director-General of the World Health Organization, in accordance with article 31 of the Constitution of WHO. This nomination will be submitted to the Fifty-first World Health Assembly, which will meet in Geneva from 11-15 May 1998. The new Director-General will take office on 21 July 1998.
Dr Gro Harlem Brundtland was born on 20 April 1939 in Oslo, Norway. She studied medicine at the University of Oslo, from which she obtained her M.D. degree in 1963. She received the degree of Master of Public Health from Harvard University in 1965. From 1965 to 1967 Dr Brundtland served as medical officer at the Norwegian Directorate of Health. From 1968 to 1974, she was Assistant medical Director at the Oslo Board of health, Department of School Services. In 1974, Dr Brundtland was appointed Minister of Environment, a position she held for five years. Appointed Prime Minister for the first time in 1981, Dr Brundtland held this position three times, the latest service from 1990 to October 1996. Altogether she was Head of Government for more than 10 years. Among her numerous international positions, Dr Brundtland chaired, starting in 1983, the World Commission on Environment and Development, which coined the concept of "sustainable development" and made recommendations leading to the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. Dr Brundtland is married and is a mother of four, and a grand-mother of seven. Related stories: Executive Board Reinforces Chagas Disease, Leprosy Elimination Efforts (26 January, 1998) Shortlist of Candidates for the Post of Director-General (20 January, 1998) 101st Session of the WHO Executive Board Opens in Geneva: Director General's Statement (19 January, 1998) 101st Session of the WHO Executive Board to Open on Monday: Scene Setter (16 January, 1998) For further information, journalists can contact Philippe Stroot,Coordinator Media Relations, WHO, Geneva. Telephone (41 22) 791 25 35. Fax (41 22) 791 48 58. E-mail strootp@who.ch. All WHO Press Releases, Fact Sheets and Features as well as other information on this subject can be obtained on Internet on the WHO home page http://www.who.ch/