Biographical Note
Hilde F. Johnson, Deputy Executive Director, UNICEF
Ms. Hilde Frafjord Johnson joined UNICEF on 14 August 2007 as Deputy Executive Director. Ms.Johnson brings extensive experience in political leadership, international development andpartnerships. She has served as Minister for International Development and member of theNorwegian government/cabinet, for almost seven years, covering 1997-2000 and 2001-2005. She wasMember of Parliament in 1993-2001.Throughout her tenure as Minister for International Development, Ms. Johnson has been a strongadvocate for human rights, poverty eradication, better delivery in development and the MillenniumDevelopment Goals. She has also been actively involved in the efforts to build coalitions for reform,both of the UN, the Bretton Woods Institutions (BWIs) and bilateral aid agencies. In 1998, Ms.Johnson initiated the Utstein-group, a group of key likeminded development ministers from the UK,Germany, Netherlands, Norway (later also Sweden and Canada). She has worked closely withleaders in the G8-countries, the senior leadership of multilateral organizations, the UN, World TradeOrganisation (WTO) and the International Financial Institutions, and leaders of developingcountries, to bring about better pro-poor development policies. She has also served as governor andmember of the Board of the World Bank for Norway and the Nordic/Baltic Constituency.Prior to joining UNICEF she served as Senior Advisor to the President of the African DevelopmentBank. Her main responsibility was developing a new operational strategy in support of Fragile Statesin Africa. Ms. Johnson has been the co-chair of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development(IGAD) Partner’s Forum (the Horn of Africa) and the Global Coalition for Africa for several years.She is also member of the Commission on Legal Empowerment of the Poor and has served as amember of the Oxford University Taskforce on UK Energy, Development Assistance and ForeignPolicy.Ms. Hilde Frafjord Johnson, born in Arusha, Tanzania, was awarded a graduate degree (cand.polit.) atthe University of Oslo in 1991, specializing in development anthropology.