Knut Vollebæk

Knut Vollebæk ( born February 11, 1946 in Oslo) is a Norwegian diplomat and Christian Democrat politician. He was from 1997 to 2000 Norwegian Foreign Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik, 1999, the Chair of the OECD and the OSCE.

The economist and graduate of the Norwegian School of Economics Bergen is a career diplomat. In 1973, he joined the Foreign Service in Norway. After working in the Norwegian embassies in India, Spain and Zimbabwe in 1991 he got his first job as ambassador; based in Costa Rica, he became Norway's ambassador to Central America. From 1991, he worked in various positions at the United Nations. He was appointed ambassador to the United States in 2001. On 18 July 2007 he was appointed High Commissioner on National Minorities of the OSCE.

Vollebæk was honored in 1997 with the Grand Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany and 2001 with the St. Olav Medal ( Commendatore ). He also wears high awards of several other states as well as honorary doctorates from Concordia Academy ( Minnesota), and the St. Olaf College ( Northfield, Minnesota).