Terje Rød-Larsen

Terje Rød-Larsen
Rød-Larsen in 2017
Minister of Administration and Planning
In office
25 October 1996 – 28 November 1996
Prime MinisterThorbjørn Jagland
Preceded byNils Totland
Succeeded byBendik Rugaas
Personal details
Born (1947-11-22) 22 November 1947 (age 78)
Bergen, Norway
PartyLabour
Spouse(s)
Merete Alfsen
​
​
(m. 1971; div. 1982)​

​
(m. 1988)​
Children2

Terje Rød-Larsen (born 22 November 1947) is a Norwegian former diplomat and politician. He held a number of public offices in Norway and at the UN until 2004. After leaving public service, he became a close associate of Jeffrey Epstein, and has worked to bolster contact between the MAGA movement and the European far right, despite previously having been a Labour Party politician in Norway.[1] Aftenposten described him as the central node in Epstein's network in Norway.[1] Rød-Larsen described Epstein as "my best friend" and "a thoroughly good human being".[2]

Rød-Larsen and his wife Mona Juul are both under investigation for corruption in Norway related to their ties to Epstein.[3] Norwegian authorities alerted U.S. Epstein investigators in 2019 after reports that Terje Rød-Larsen's think tank, the International Peace Institute, allegedly brought in young and unqualified women from Eastern Europe on very short internships whose photos were shared with Epstein, despite the institute having received extensive Norwegian state funding.[4]

Morits Skaugen, a since-bankrupt shipowner, said he was forced to sell his large Frogner apartment for half its value to Rød-Larsen and Juul, with Epstein acting as the middle man, stating that the sale was not voluntary and that his family was threatened on Rød-Larsen's and Juul's behalf by Epstein. Epstein showed Skaugen pictures of himself with the chairman of the bank that Skaugen's company had lent money from and a detailed map of all his business connections around the world, and also threatened to fire one of Skaugen's relatives from the International Peace Institute unless Skaugen sold Rød-Larsen the apartment for half its value, stating that they could not continue "with one of your family members working for us". He described the actions taken by Rød-Larsen and Juul with the help of Epstein as "mafia methods".[5]

Early life and education

Rød-Larsen grew up in Bergen and studied social sciences, culminating in a Ph.D. in sociology. He taught at Norwegian universities until 1981, when he helped found FAFO, a research organization funded by the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions. He married Merete Alfsen in 1971, with whom he had a daughter before their divorce in 1982.

Career

Rød-Larsen came to wide international prominence as a key figure in the 1990s negotiations that led to the Oslo Accords—the first-ever agreements between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)—when he served as the director of the Fafo institute.[6][7][8][9] He is played by the actor Andrew Scott in the film Oslo, based on the play of the same name. In 1993, Rød-Larsen was appointed Ambassador and Special Adviser for the Middle East Peace process to the Norwegian Foreign Minister, and the following year, he became the United Nations Special Coordinator in the Occupied Territories at the rank of Under-Secretary-General. Rød-Larsen briefly served as the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Planning and Cooperation of Norway in the Jagland cabinet in 1996. He had to resign after a tax affair regarding him came to public attention.[10]

Rød-Larsen then returned to the United Nations, where he again became an Under-Secretary-General, serving as the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process and Personal Representative of the Secretary-General to the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority from 1999 to 2004. From 2004 to 2020,[11] Rød-Larsen was the president of the International Peace Institute (IPI), based in New York City, adjacent to the United Nations, which the IPI works with extensively. He resigned in 2020 over previously undisclosed links to Jeffrey Epstein.[12][13]

Fafo Institute

Main article: Fafo Foundation

In 1982, Rød-Larsen founded the Fafo Institute for Applied Social Science in Oslo. Initially funded by the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions, Fafo later received support from major companies including Orkla, UMOE, Elkem, Coop Norge, Sparebank 1, and Telenor.[14] As Fafo's director (1982–1993), he expanded the institute from a national research body into an internationally recognized think tank. Its field research on living conditions and labor issues in the Middle East contributed to the framework for the secret Oslo negotiations.[14][15]

Early Middle East work

In 1989, Rød-Larsen moved to Cairo, when his wife Mona Juul, who worked for the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was stationed there. He continued to work for FAFO, as the organization had become more internationally oriented during the 1980s. Rød-Larsen performed a detailed sociological study of living conditions in the West Bank, Gaza and Eastern Jerusalem. In the course of this work, Rød-Larsen made contacts that proved to be useful in secret negotiations between Israel and the PLO.

Oslo Accords

When serving as the director of the Fafo institute in the early 1990s, Rød-Larsen became a key figure in the 1990s negotiations that led to the Oslo Accords—the first-ever agreements between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). He served a pivotal role in the negotiations not only overtly, but in secret back-channel maneuvers and communications—largely arranged and facilitated by him and his wife, Norwegian diplomat Mona Juul. She was able to facilitate high-level contacts with the Norwegian foreign minister, Johan Jørgen Holst, who was instrumental in reaching the Oslo Accords—leading to the peace agreement signing on September 13, 1993 in Washington D.C.[6][7][8][9]

The 2016-2017 Broadway play, Oslo, by noted playwright J. T. Rogers, is a widely-praised dramatization of the previously unheralded secret work of Rød-Larsen and his wife, and others, in developing the back-channel communications that (reportedly) saved the Oslo negotiations from collapsing.[6][7][8][9] The same year Rød-Larsen became formally employed by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a special advisor on Middle Eastern affairs.

Mid-1990s to mid-2000s

From 1994 to 1996, Rød-Larsen served as former Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali's first "Special Coordinator in the Occupied Territories". In 1996, Rød-Larsen served briefly as minister of administration in the government of Thorbjørn Jagland, before being forced to resign as the result of a tax scandal. On 9 September 1999, Rød-Larsen was appointed as UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's personal representative to the PLO and Palestinian Authority on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. He was also the UN Special Coordinator for peace negotiations in the Middle East.[16] He subsequently left the post in 2004 to become president of the International Peace Academy, a NYC-based think tank, and was also designated as UN Special Representative on 3 January 2005 for the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1559, which calls for Syrian withdrawal of Lebanon and the disarmament of Hezbollah.

International Peace Institute

In 2005, Rød-Larsen became President of the International Peace Institute (formerly International Peace Academy). Under his leadership, IPI expanded its headquarters, opened offices in Europe and the Middle East, and became a forum for UN-related dialogue.[17] In October 2020, Rød-Larsen resigned after media revelations that IPI had accepted donations from entities connected to Jeffrey Epstein. The contributions represented less than 1% of IPI’s budget.[18] An internal KPMG review found all donations were properly recorded and concluded that there was “no evidence that any laws or regulations were breached.”[19] Rød-Larsen also disclosed that he had received and repaid a personal loan from Epstein.

2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict

See also: Timeline of the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict

16 August

Rød-Larsen was sent by U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan to Lebanon and Israel to follow up on the implementation of the cease-fire resolution, the United Nations announced on 16 August 2006.[20]

20 August

On this date Rød-Larsen told reporters. "There is a golden opportunity for Lebanon to solidify its democracy, to assert it authority, to produce a situation where Lebanon can be reconstructed and where Lebanese can live peacefully with its neighbors in prosperity. All this is at hand."[21]

22 August

The United Nations special envoy to Syria and Lebanon said on 22 August 2006 it could take the Lebanese army and international troops two to three months to fill a "security vacuum" in southern Lebanon and warned that "unintended" acts could spark renewed fighting.[22] Terje Rød-Larsen said, "There is now a security vacuum which the Lebanese government is trying to fill" with the help of international forces, and added, "But I think realistically, up to a point, you will have such a vacuum in Lebanon for the next two, three months. The situation is still extremely fragile... Unintended incidents can kick off renewed violence, which might escalate and spin out of control."[22]

Abraham Accords

In 2020, Rød-Larsen was involved in informal diplomatic contacts that contributed to the groundwork for the Abraham Accords between Israel and several Arab states. He attended the White House signing ceremony in September 2020.[23][24]

Reception

Rød-Larsen's work is associated with the practice of "track-two diplomacy", using informal channels to mediate conflicts. Although the Oslo process stalled in later years, scholars credit his methods as influential for subsequent peace initiatives.[15] His reputation was affected by the Epstein donations controversy, though internal and external reviews cleared him of legal wrongdoing.[25] On 29 October 2020, Rød-Larsen resigned the presidency of the IPI.[11]

Association with Jeffrey Epstein

Rød-Larsen was a close associate of Jeffrey Epstein and has worked to bolster contact between the MAGA movement and the European far right.[1] A January 2026 release as part of the Epstein files indicated that each of Rød-Larsen's children were to be given $5 million in Epstein's will. In a statement, Rød-Larsen's wife said that the family had not been aware of the contents of the will before the document release and declined to comment further.[26] Within the files, Rød-Larsen described Epstein as "my best friend" and "a thoroughly good human being".[2] As of February 2026 Rød-Larsen is under investigation for corruption in Norway.[27][28]

Awards and honors

Rød-Larsen has received numerous international awards for his peace work, including:

  • Commander of the Légion d’Honneur (France, 2017)[29]
  • Commander of the National Order of the Cedar (Lebanon)[30]
  • Order of Merit (Palestinian Authority)[31]
  • Peer Gynt Prize (Norway, 1994, jointly with Mona Juul)[32]
  • Shimon Peres Peace Prize (Israel)[33]
  • Histadrut Peace Prize (Israel)[33]
  • Tipperary Peace Prize (Ireland)[31]
  • Kessler International Peace Prize (Germany)[31]
  • Carter-Menil Human Rights Prize (USA)[34]

Personal life

Rød-Larsen is married to diplomat Mona Juul, with whom he facilitated the Oslo negotiations. They have two children.[14] Rød-Larsen is the father of author Hilde Rød-Larsen.[35]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Den norske edderkopp i Epsteins nett". Aftenposten. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
  2. ^ a b "Omtalte Epstein som sin «bestevenn»". Dagbladet. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
  3. ^ "Økokrim åpner etterforsking av Mona Juul og Terje Rød-Larsen". NRK. Retrieved 13 February 2026.
  4. ^ "Riksadvokaten varslet FBI om unge, østeuropeiske kvinner som fikk jobb i Rød-Larsens tankesmie". Aftenposten. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
  5. ^ "Skipsreder Morits Skaugen om Epstein-møte: –⁠ Min familie skulle få lide". VG. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
  6. ^ a b c Brantley, Ben (11 July 2016). "Review: A Byzantine Path to Middle East Peace in 'Oslo'". The New York Times. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
  7. ^ a b c Jones, Chris (21 April 2017). "'Argo' and the new play 'Oslo' are stories about heroes nobody knows". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on 21 April 2017. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
  8. ^ a b c Rose, Charlie (interviewer), with interviewees diplomat Terje Rød-Larsen, playwright J. T. Rogers, and director Bartlett Sher, with other segments, in Charlie Rose: The Week, May 5, 2017, (Video) as aired May 6, 2017, Public Broadcasting System (PBS), retrieved May 6, 2017
  9. ^ a b c Rogers, J.T. (playwright), Theater: "'Oslo' and the Drama in Diplomacy", June 17, 2016, The New York Times retrieved May 6, 2017
  10. ^ Sand, Lars Nehru (28 October 2020). "Den misforståttes kampskrift" [The misunderstood battle script]. Commentary. NRK (in Norwegian). Retrieved 12 October 2024.
  11. ^ a b "Terje Rød-Larsen trekker seg som president for International Peace Institute". 30 October 2020.
  12. ^ Richard Roth (31 October 2020). "Epstein donations force resignation at international peace organization". CNN. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  13. ^ "Norway diplomat Terje Rød-Larsen's derogatory remark on 'Indian and snake' revealed in Epstein files". Hindustan Times. 2 February 2026. Retrieved 2 February 2026.
  14. ^ a b c "Terje Rød-Larsen". Fafo Institute for Labour and Social Research. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
  15. ^ a b "Oslo Accords". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
  16. ^ "Secretary-General appoints Terje Rød-Larsen of Norway as United Nations Special Coordinator for Middle East Peace Process" (Press release). United Nations. 21 September 1999. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  17. ^ "Terje Rød-Larsen – Biography". International Peace Institute. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
  18. ^ "Rød-Larsen resigns after Epstein revelations". Dagens Næringsliv. October 2020. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
  19. ^ "KPMG Report on IPI and Terje Rød-Larsen". International Peace Institute. 2021. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
  20. ^ "Lebanese troops deploy as part of U.N. cease-fire". CNN. 17 August 2006. Archived from the original on 21 August 2006.
  21. ^ "U.N. envoy: Lebanon facing critical test". CNN. 20 August 2006.
  22. ^ a b "Italy to send up to 3,000 troops to Lebanon, largest pledge so far". Haaretz. 22 August 2006. Retrieved 22 August 2006.
  23. ^ "Abraham Accords signing ceremony". White House Archives. 2020. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
  24. ^ "Tzipi Livni opens up about her Gulf visits before the Abraham Accords". Jewish Insider. 2022. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
  25. ^ "Release of KPMG Forensic Review and IPI Probity Review". 22 December 2020.
  26. ^ Næringsliv, Dagens (31 January 2026). "Norske diplomatbarn skulle få 10 millioner dollar i Epstein-testamente". NRK (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2 February 2026.
  27. ^ "Filter Nyheter erfarer: Økokrim undersøker Jagland, Rød-Larsen og Mona Juul opp mot korrupsjonslovgivning". Filter. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
  28. ^ Nora Buli. "Norwegian diplomat steps down over Epstein ties, in widening scandal". reuters. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  29. ^ "Legion d'Honneur Awardees Database". French Government. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
  30. ^ "National Order of the Cedar Recipients". Lebanese Presidency. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
  31. ^ a b c "Terje Rød-Larsen profile". United Nations. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
  32. ^ "Peer Gynt Prize Winners". Peer Gynt Festival. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
  33. ^ a b "Histadrut Peace Prize Winners". Histadrut. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
  34. ^ "Carter-Menil Human Rights Prize". The Carter Center. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
  35. ^ Elmelund, Rasmus (11 February 2026). "I 2012 boede Hilde Rød-Larsen i Epsteins lejlighed i Paris. Det skammer hun sig over i dag" [In 2012 Hilde Rød-Larsen lived in Epstein's apartment in Paris. She is ashamed of that today]. information.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 21 February 2026.
allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terje_Roed-Larsen