Permanent Representative of Sweden to the United Nations
| Permanent Representative of Sweden to the United Nations | |
|---|---|
Incumbent since 2024Nicola Clase | |
| Ministry for Foreign Affairs Permanent Mission of Sweden to the United Nations | |
| Style | His or Her Excellency (formal) Mr. or Madam Ambassador (informal) |
| Reports to | Minister for Foreign Affairs |
| Seat | United Nations Headquarters New York City, New York, USA |
| Appointer | Government of Sweden |
| Term length | No fixed term |
| Formation | 1947 |
| First holder | Herman Eriksson |
| Deputy | Deputy Permanent Representative |
| Website | www |
| This article is part of a series about the |
| United Nations |
|---|
| Charter |
| UN System |
| Funds, programmes, and other bodies |
| Specialized agencies |
| Membership |
| History |
| Resolutions |
The Permanent Representative of Sweden to the United Nations is head of the Permanent Mission of Sweden to the United Nations in New York City, United States.
History
In 1947, Sweden appointed its first permanent representative to the United Nations, Herman Eriksson, who had been the Swedish minister in Washington, D.C. for the previous two years. For long periods, Eriksson served as the sole Swedish delegate during the negotiations. When he later fell ill and required a lengthy period of convalescence, the Swedish government appointed him to the less demanding post of Swedish ambassador in Copenhagen.[1] The UN position was then taken over by Ambassador Gunnar Hägglöf, who was appointed in August 1947.[2]
Olof Rydbeck was appointed permanent representative in 1972. His first major task as UN ambassador was to help complete the preparations for the first United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, held in Stockholm in 1972. He strongly advocated for China's participation, a goal that was successfully realized when China was admitted to the UN around the same time. Rydbeck actively supported Sweden's positive stance on this sensitive issue.[3] Another major and controversial topic during his tenure was South Africa's apartheid policy, where his views were met with respect.[3] His talent for achieving compromise proved valuable when, in 1976, he became chairman of the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) of General Assembly, which was marked by sharp divisions between industrialized and developing countries. The highlight of Rydbeck's time as head of the Swedish UN delegation came when Sweden gained a seat on the Security Council in 1975–76. He contributed to reforms in the Council's working procedures, and Sweden's decisive "yes" vote on the question of granting the PLO the right to speak before the Council had significant political impact.[3]
List of permanent representatives
| No. | Portrait | Ambassador | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Prime Minister | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Herman Eriksson (1892–1949) | 17 January 1947 | 25 August 1947 | 220 days | Tage Erlander | [1] | |
| 2 | Gunnar Hägglöf (1904–1994) | 1947 | 1948 | 0–1 years | Tage Erlander | [4] | |
| 3 | Sven Grafström (1902–1955) | 26 August 1948 | 1952 | 3–4 years | Tage Erlander | [5] | |
| 4 | Oscar Thorsing (1896–1967) | 1952 | 1956 | 3–4 years | Tage Erlander | [6] | |
| 5 | Gunnar Jarring (1907–2002) | 1956 | 1958 | 1–2 years | Tage Erlander | [7] | |
| 6 | Agda Rössel (1910–2001) | 1958 | 1964 | 5–6 years | Tage Erlander | [8] | |
| 7 | Sverker Åström (1915–2012) | 1964 | 1970 | 5–6 years | Tage Erlander Olof Palme | [9] | |
| - | Olof Rydbeck (1913–1995) Acting | 10 September 1970 | 30 September 1972 | 2 years, 20 days | Olof Palme | [3] | |
| 8 | Olof Rydbeck (1913–1995) | 1 October 1972 | 1976 | 3–4 years | Olof Palme | [3] | |
| 9 | Anders Thunborg (1934–2004) | 1977 | 1983 | 5–6 years | Thorbjörn Fälldin Ola Ullsten Thorbjörn Fälldin Olof Palme | [10] | |
| 10 | Anders Ferm (1938–2019) | 1983 | 1988 | 4–5 years | Olof Palme Ingvar Carlsson | [11] | |
| 11 | Jan Eliasson (born 1940) | 1988 | 1992 | 3–4 years | Ingvar Carlsson Carl Bildt | [12] | |
| 12 | Peter Osvald (born 1939) | 1992 | 1997 | 4–5 years | Carl Bildt Ingvar Carlsson Göran Persson | [13] | |
| 13 | Hans Dahlgren (born 1948) | 1997 | 2000 | 2–3 years | Göran Persson | [14] | |
| 14 | Pierre Schori (born 1938) | 2000 | 2004 | 3–4 years | Göran Persson | - | |
| 15 | Anders Lidén (born 1949) | 2004 | 2010 | 5–6 years | Göran Persson Fredrik Reinfeldt | [15] | |
| 16 | Mårten Grunditz (1949–2015) | 2010 | 2015 | 4–5 years | Fredrik Reinfeldt Stefan Löfven | - | |
| 17 | Olof Skoog (born 1962) | 2015 | 2019 | 3–4 years | Stefan Löfven | [16] | |
| 18 | Anna Karin Eneström (born 1961) | December 2019 | 30 September 2024 | 4–5 years | Stefan Löfven Magdalena Andersson Ulf Kristersson | [17][18] | |
| 19 | Nicola Clase (born 1965) | 2024 | Incumbent | – | Ulf Kristersson | [19] |
List of deputy permanent representatives
| Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ambassador Sten Strömholm (1930–1997) | 1985 | 1989 | 3–4 years | [20][21] | |
| Ambassador Lars-Göran Engfeldt (1944–2025) | 1989 | 1993 | 3–4 years | [22] | |
| Ambassador[a] Henrik Salander (born 1945) | 1993 | 1998 | 4–5 years | [24] | |
| Ambassador Per Norström (born 1947) | 1998 | 2001 | 2–3 years | [25] | |
| Ambassador Inga Eriksson Fogh (born 1950) | 2001 | 2004 | 2–3 years | [26] | |
| Ambassador Ulla Ström (born 1942) | 2004 | 2008 | 3–4 years | [27] | |
| Minister Per Örneus (born 1962) | 2008 | 2010 | 1–2 years | [15] | |
| Ambassador Signe Burgstaller (born 1965) | September 2010 | 2014 | 3–4 years | [28] | |
| Ambassador Per Thöresson (born 1962) | 2014 | 2016 | 1–2 years | [29] | |
| Ambassador Carl Skau (born 1977) | September 2016 | December 2018 | 1–2 years | [30] | |
| Ambassador Anna Karin Eneström (born 1961) | 2019 | December 2019 | – | [17] | |
| Ambassador Magnus Lennartsson (born 1961) | March 2020 | September 2023 | 2–3 years | [31][32] | |
| Ambassador Andreas von Uexküll (born 1971) | 2023 | Incumbent | – | [33] |
See also
- List of current permanent representatives to the United Nations
- Permanent Representative of Sweden to the United Nations in Geneva
Footnotes
References
Notes
- ^ a b Hemming 1953, p. 410
- ^ "Gunnar Hägglöf ständigt ombud i Förenta nationerna" [Gunnar Hägglöf Permanent Representative to the United Nations]. Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). 26 August 1947. p. 4A. Retrieved 7 October 2025.
- ^ a b c d e Elgemyr 2000–2002, p. 19
- ^ Uddling & Paabo 1992, p. 523.
- ^ Boheman 1967–1969, p. 209
- ^ Lagerström 1966, p. 917
- ^ Uddling & Paabo 1992, p. 548.
- ^ Uddling & Paabo 1992, p. 954.
- ^ Uddling & Paabo 1992, p. 1234.
- ^ Salander Mortensen 1996, p. 1119.
- ^ Jönsson 2000, p. 333.
- ^ Jönsson 2000, p. 287.
- ^ Jönsson 2000, p. 888.
- ^ Jönsson 2000, p. 225.
- ^ a b Sveriges statskalender 2010 (PDF) (in Swedish). Stockholm: Norstedts Juridik AB/Fritzes. 2010. p. 203. ISBN 978-91-38-32520-9. SELIBR 11846164.
- ^ "Olof Skoog blir EU:s nya ambassadör till FN" [Olof Skoog becomes the EU's new ambassador to the UN] (in Swedish). Swedish UN Association. 28 November 2019. Retrieved 17 March 2025.
- ^ a b "Ny FN-ambassadör" [New UN Ambassador] (PDF) (Press release) (in Swedish). Ministry for Foreign Affairs. 5 December 2019. p. 517. Retrieved 17 March 2025.
- ^ "Today our dear UN Ambassador Anna Karin Eneström is ending her term". Sweden at the United Nations. 30 September 2024. Retrieved 17 March 2025 – via Instagram.
- ^ "Ny FN-ambassadör" [New UN Ambassador] (Press release) (in Swedish). Ministry for Foreign Affairs. 18 April 2024. Retrieved 17 March 2025.
- ^ Spiegelberg 1989, p. 383
- ^ Salander Mortensen 1996, p. 1061.
- ^ Almqvist 1993, p. 364
- ^ Jönsson 2000, p. 988.
- ^ Spiegelberg 1998, p. 197
- ^ Spiegelberg 2001, p. 197
- ^ Spiegelberg 2004, p. 193
- ^ Henriksson 2008, p. 203
- ^ "Book Talk: HAMMARSKJÖLD : A Life". United Nations Association of New York (UNA-NYC). April 2013. Retrieved 9 April 2025.
Ambassador Signe Burgstaller has been the Deputy Permanent Representative of the Permanent Mission of Sweden to the United Nations since September 2010.
- ^ Skyllborg, Charlotte (26 April 2014). "Toppdiplomat får nytt prestigeuppdrag" [Top diplomat gets new prestigious assignment]. Bohusläningen (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 9 April 2025.
- ^ "Carl Skau". LinkedIn. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
- ^ "MAGNUS LENNARTSSON: SWEDEN'S CANDIDATE FOR THE ACABQ 2021–2023" (PDF). www.swedenabroad.se. 2020. p. 2. Retrieved 9 April 2025.
- ^ "Magnus Lennartsson". LinkedIn. Retrieved 9 April 2025.
- ^ "Our Staff". Permanent Mission of Sweden to the United Nations. 1 November 2023. Archived from the original on 18 March 2024. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
- Almqvist, Gerd, ed. (1993). Sveriges statskalender 1993 (PDF) (in Swedish). Stockholm: Allmänna. ISBN 9138128098. SELIBR 3682772.
- Boheman, Erik (1967–1969). "Sven H Grafström". Svenskt biografiskt lexikon (in Swedish). Vol. 17. National Archives of Sweden. Retrieved 17 March 2025.
- Elgemyr, Göran (2000–2002). "Olof Rydbeck". Svenskt biografiskt lexikon (in Swedish). Vol. 31. National Archives of Sweden. Retrieved 17 March 2025.
- Hemming, Sten J:r. (1953). "Gustaf Herman Eriksson". Svenskt biografiskt lexikon (in Swedish). Vol. 14. National Archives of Sweden. Retrieved 17 March 2025.
- Henriksson, Maria, ed. (2008). Sveriges statskalender 2008 (PDF) (in Swedish). Stockholm: Norstedts Juridik AB/Fritzes. ISBN 978-91-38-32405-9. SELIBR 10900526.
- Jönsson, Lena, ed. (2000). Vem är det: svensk biografisk handbok. 2001 [Who is it: Swedish biographical handbook. 2001] (in Swedish). Stockholm: Norstedt. ISBN 9172850426. SELIBR 8261515.
- Lagerström, Sten, ed. (1966). Vem är det: svensk biografisk handbok. 1967 [Who is it: Swedish biographical handbook. 1967] (in Swedish). Stockholm: Norstedt. SELIBR 3681518.
- Spiegelberg, Christina, ed. (1989). Sveriges statskalender 1989 (PDF) (in Swedish). Stockholm: Allmänna. ISBN 9138121735. SELIBR 3682768.
- Spiegelberg, Christina, ed. (1998). Sveriges statskalender 1998 (PDF) (in Swedish). Stockholm: Fritzes. ISBN 9138313111. SELIBR 3682777.
- Spiegelberg, Christina, ed. (2001). Sveriges statskalender 2001 (PDF) (in Swedish). Stockholm: Fritzes. ISBN 9138318385. SELIBR 8261601.
- Spiegelberg, Christina, ed. (2004). Sveriges statskalender 2004 (PDF) (in Swedish). Stockholm: Fritzes. ISBN 91-38-32120-3. SELIBR 89506762.
- Salander Mortensen, Jill, ed. (1996). Vem är det: svensk biografisk handbok. 1997 [Who is it: Swedish biographical handbook. 1997] (in Swedish). Stockholm: Norstedt. ISBN 91-1-960852-7. SELIBR 3681533.
- Uddling, Hans; Paabo, Katrin, eds. (1992). Vem är det: svensk biografisk handbok. 1993 [Who is it: Swedish biographical handbook. 1993] (in Swedish). Stockholm: Norstedt. ISBN 91-1-914072-X. SELIBR 8261513.
External links
- Permanent Mission UN, New York (in Swedish and English)
![Sven Grafström [sv]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f2/Sven_Grafstr%C3%B6m.jpg)
