Erik Solheim

Who is Erik Solheim?

Erik Solheim is a Norwegian politician for the Socialist Left Party. He was appointed Minister of International Development in 2005 and also Minister of the Environment in 2007, and sat in both offices until 2012. Solheim was leader of the Socialist Youth from 1977 to 1981, party secretary from 1981 to 1985, and member of the Parliament of Norway from 1989 to 2001. He was party leader from 1987 to 1997. Until being appointed minister, he worked as a diplomat and a participant in the Norwegian delegation that unsuccessfully attempted to resolve the Sri Lankan Civil War before the outbreak of Eelam War IV. On November 2, 2012, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that Erik Solheim became the new Chair of the OECD DAC, took over from Brian Atwood who was steped down in December 2012.